Days of blue
by Heliotrope
Summary: After the final battle against the Festum nearly a year ago, life on Tatsumiya island continues... Spoilers for the whole first season. Will contain KazuSou later on.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Soukyuu no Fafner, or it's characters. Xebec does, though!

Author's note: Please bare in mind that I have only seen the first 23 episodes of Fafner, and heard about what happens in the last three. So if there are any continuity errors... er, please ignore them.

This story is set around ten months after the last episode, and some of the details (such as Sakura being bedridden) are based on the interview on the "Now here" CD drama.

There will be more chapters after this one, just so you know. At first I was thinking of making itmyversion of a"second season" of Fafner, but I don't think I'll be able to write 26 chapters/episodes.

So, without further ado... enjoy!

CHAPTER ONE: PROMISE - RETURN

Over ten months had past and still the wounds seemed fresh and gaping, the pain from that day still burning. It was a concept you almost couldn't bring yourself to believe.

But still, every now and then it would hit him like a bullet to the heart: Soushi wasn't here anymore.

Kazuki stared up at the star littered night sky, the wind blowing in through the window. He blinked his dull red eyes and wondered if Soushi would still keep his promise.

" Are you really still there, Soushi?" Kazuki whispered, gave still cast to the shadowed heavens. " I'm keeping my promise, so you have to keep yours."

And so he continued to wait.

* * *

" Kazuki's sixteenth birthday is in a few days, isn't it?" Kenji asked the next day at school, as he joined Maya for lunch.

Ever since the final battle almost a year ago, the Festums had ceased their attacks and the island had returned to normal. That meant going back to school - much to many of the children's' annoyance.

Alvis was still active and pilots were still being trained, just to be on the safe side.

" That's right," Maya replied, opening her own lunch bag. " I think Kazuki-kun's father is planning a party for him inside of Alvis."

" Inside of Alvis?" Kenji echoed incredulously. " Who'd want to have a birthday party in there?"

" Well, I wouldn't myself, but I'm sure Kazuki-kun wouldn't mind. That place probably feels like a second home to him by now. His dad mentioned something about pushing some of the chairs aside and setting up a big buffet table in the lounge."

" As long as Kazuki's dad isn't doing the cooking, it sounds fine to me."

Maya chuckled to herself, before giving Kenji a gentler look. " By the way, how has Sakura been feeling lately?"

Sakura had awoken from her coma a few weeks ago, and though she was still in control of her mind and body, the assimilation had left her weak. Very weak indeed.

A fond smile covered Kenji's usually brash face. " I think she's doing a little better. She still can't stand up yet, but she's staying awake for longer periods of time." He looked pointedly at Maya. " I think she'd like it if you guys visited. She seems very lonely to me."

Maya swallowed. She felt guilty about not visiting her, but it just reminded her too much of Shouko.

" I will soon," she answered hesitantly.

" That's good to hear. Canon is the only other one who's visited so far. Isn't that right, Canon?"

Maya glanced up and saw the red-headed girl approaching, her own meagre lunch bag clutched in her hand.

" Yes, I did," she replied, still a bit uncertain around the others. " It seemed to cheer her up. Though not as much as your visits, of course."

Kenji blushed and lowered his head. " You really think so?"

" Yes. She loves you a lot, after all," Canon stated.

Kenji's blush deepened even more. " I love her a lot, too. I hope she can walk soon. Then she can come with us to the beach and Kazuki's birthday party."

" Speaking of which; what do you think we should get him for a present?" Maya asked. " He's been so distant and depressed since, well... you know. I'd really like to get something to cheer him up."

Canon sighed sadly. " The one gift he'd treasure is the one gift we can't get for him."

The three of them were silent for a moment, watching as a group of younger students chased each other around in a playful game of tag.

" How about we just get him a Soushi plushie?" Kenji finally piped up.

" Kenji, I don't think that's very funny, and if you make jokes about that about such things again, I will report it to Sakura later on," Maya warned, and Canon nodded in agreement.

" Oh, so you will come and visit her with me today?"

" ... Yes. At least she'll have some sensible suggestions for a gift."

* * *

" Chocolate. Soushi-shaped chocolate. And lots of it," Sakura declared later on that afternoon.

Kenji smiled smugly at Maya. " What were you saying about sensible suggestions?"

" Be quiet!"

They were gathered around Sakura; Maya and Canon on chairs while Kenji upon the bed, Sakura's hand grasped tightly in his own.

Kenji's hunch had been right, Sakura was thrilled at the sight of her visitors, and though she was somewhat tired, she eagerly joined in the topic of birthday presents.

" Apparently Sakura thinks along the same wavelength as Kenji," Canon commented, a slight smile on her usually serious face.

" I sure do," the brunette grinned, patting Kenji's hand affectionately. " Besides which, apart from the real Soushi, a chocolate - or perhaps just a blow-up doll - version is the next best thing."

Canon gaped at her in surprise, before letting out a choked laugh. " Oh, Sakura. You're so awful."

" What? It's true! Right, Kenji?"

" Oh, I agree with you completely."

" How surprising..."

Maya stayed silent as she listened to her friends' banter, a smile fixed upon on her. She couldn't help but feel sad, as her feelings for Kazuki were still there, despite the obvious fact that his heart was already spoken for.

" Kazuki didn't join you here, then?" Sakura said, more of a statement than a question. " What? Didn't he want to see me?"

" I'm sure that's not the case. But how could we have a discussion about his birthday present if he's in the room to listen?" Canon reminded her calmly.

" Yeah, I know. Well, next time you'd better drag him out from wherever he's skulking and bring him in here," Sakura said, pulling away from Kenji's grip and crossing her arms defiantly. " And by the way, I'm going to that birthday party of his."

" But how can you? I mean you're, well, you're..." Maya trailed off uncertainly.

" Yes, Maya, I'm aware of the fact that I'm a cripple now. But you don't have to dance around the issue or smother me like you did with Shouko," Sakura snapped, ignoring Maya's upset look at the mention of Shouko's name. " There are such things as wheelchairs. You can help me get about in one, right, Kenji?"

" Of course I will. I was hoping you'd be able to come to the party."

" Good. It's settled them." Sakura smile, her sudden bad mood lifted. " Now then, what about this present? Apart from Soushi, what else would he like?"

* * *

Kazuki sat on the pier, gazing out across the unblemished, sapphire sea. The sky above was just as clear, with the red tinges of sunset playing along the horizon.

He often came here and just sat for hours at a time. Watching. Waiting. Hoping that today might be the day of Soushi's return.

But it never was.

He couldn't believe how much he missed his friend. He'd never felt like this during Soushi's supposed visits to Japan. But those times he knew Soushi would be returning.

" He will return. He promised," Kazuki said firmly, trying to make himself believe it. To ignite the flame of hope that seemed to get dimmer with each passing day.

" Soushi... Where are you now?"

* * *

He could feel them. Hear them. Almost as though they were a part of him. It was strange to be amongst them. They were always questioning, curious; just like children.

Their voices would whisper inside of him, loud and clear.

_" We don't understand these visions you have as you sleep. What are they?"_

" They're called dreams. Pictures painted in your mind, you might say," Soushi answered, always happy to answer their endless stream of questions. " A reality conjured up by your subconscious. A beautiful reality, a paradise."

_" What is this 'paradise' you speak of? We don't understand."_

" It's a place where things are always right. Where people live in peace. Where everything is just as you want it," Soushi said, his tone wishful. " Most people don't think that it's possible, but I do."

Soushi felt oddly at peace in this place, and he couldn't help but wonder if he was dead. Though that didn't feel quite right to him. He also wondered how he could sleep without a body.

In the end he decided not to concern himself with such things.

" I'll be back soon, Kazuki. I promised," he said, still not sure just how long he'd been away. Time didn't flow the same way in this place.

_" A promise? What is that?"_

" It's when you say you'll do something, and then you do it." Soushi laughed quietly. " I'm sorry, that isn't a very good explanation. Let me give you an example: I promised Kazuki that I would return to Tatsumiya island, and when I do I'll be keeping my promise. I hope it will make him very happy."

_" What is 'happy'?"_

" It is the opposite of sad. I don't think you've learnt that yet. You've learnt sadness and hatred, but if I return to the island you can learn their opposites, happiness and... love."

_" Love?"_

" It's what I feel for Kazuki."

_" We would like to understand such emotions." _

" You will once I make it back home," Soushi said, feeling sleepy all of a sudden.

Just as he drifted off to sleep, he heard the Festums answer, _" Your body will be repaired soon. Then you shall be returned."_

_

* * *

_

" Where exactly are you two taking me? And why do I have to wear a blindfold?"

" Kazuki, we already told you it's a secret."

It was early evening, and Kazuki's surprise birthday party was soon to begin. All they were lacking was the birthday boy himself.

Kazuki had spent his day as he spent most of his days lately, inside his house or down at the pier.

" I'm not really in the mood to go out," he insisted, stumbling down the steps as Maya and Canon led him, each holding onto one of his arms.

" You can't spend the rest of your life hiding in your room, Kazuki-kun," Maya said, her voice had an air of mystery to it. " Kenji and Sakura would have joined us here, but it's too difficult to handle Sakura's wheelchair, what with all these steps."

" Wheelchair? Why is Sakura--"

" It isn't important now, Kazuki," Canon cut in. " We're almost there. The others are waiting for us."

" Others?"

Kazuki heard the whooshing of electronic doors and the heavy, metallic sounding footsteps, and knew instantly that they were inside Alvis.

" OK, we're here!" Maya announced, ripping off Kazuki's blindfold. " Surprise! Happy birthday, Kazuki-kun!"

Kazuki was certainly surprised; he'd completely forgotten about his birthday, having spent the last ten months in a haze.

Though not all of those months had been spent worrying over Soushi, for a few of them he'd been in a coma himself, trying to get over his partial assimilation. He'd got better soon and his sight had returned, but it had left his eyes a dull red, instead of their usual brown. No-one could tell if they would ever return to normal.

A stunned Kazuki was shoved down into one of the nearby lounge chairs, while most of the guests made their way over to the food.

" Kazuki!"

Kazuki looked up and saw Kenji wheeling Sakura towards him. Sakura had a colourfully wrapped present in her arms, and a cheerful grin on her face.

" Hi, Kenji, Sakura. How are you feeling today?" Kazuki asked, the last part being addressed to Sakura. " I heard you'd woken up a few weeks ago."

" Yes, almost three weeks to be precise. And I'm not feeling too bad today, a little tired, but no more than usual. Yet," Sakura replied.

" That's good to hear."

" Here, happy birthday," Sakura said briskly, handing him the present. " It's from both of us."

" Well, Sakura came up with the idea, I just went to buy it," Kenji admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Maya and Canon exchanged amused glances as they sat down beside Kazuki.

Kazuki ripped open the wrapping paper. " Chocolate kittens?" he said, reading the labelling on the box.

Maya rolled her eyes and Canon hid a smile. They should have known that those two wouldn't of come up with anything better.

" It wasn't quite the shape we originally wanted, but it's better than nothing," Kenji said, winking at Sakura, who smiled back at him knowingly.

" Kazuki-senpai, open our present next!"

Kazuki blinked as a brightly coloured package was thrust into his face. Looking up he saw Rina, flagged by Seri and Doma.

The trio of kids, who had been good friends with Minashiro Tsubaki, all worked permanently now at Alvis. Seri and Doma were two of the newest Fafner pilots, while Rina still worked in CDC.

Luckily for them, due to the lack of Festum attacks, it meant they didn't have all that much work to do.

Kazuki took the offered gift and peeled open the paper. " Oh, a manga. The valley of the cat people?" he stared up at the three of them, an eyebrow raised.

" It's a really good story," Doma assured him.

" Yeah, and we all chipped in to buy it," Seri added.

Rina clasped her hands together and sighed dreamily. " The characters in it are all so pretty. Especially the female ones."

" Er, well, we'll be going now," Seri stuttered, and dragged a still swooning Rina along with her.

" Happy birthday, Kazuki-senpai! We hope you enjoy your party," Doma called over his shoulder as the trio wandered away.

" Kazuki-kun, I got you a present, too," Maya said softly, handing him a little yellow and white box.

Kazuki opened the box and smiled when he saw its contents. " A photo frame?"

Maya continued to smile. " You once told me that I take good care of other peoples' memories. Well, now you can put a picture in there and treasure the memory that it holds."

Kazuki gave her a grateful look. " Thank you, Tomi. I will always treasure it," he said, placing his hand on top of hers.

And this time Maya didn't feel the need to blush. For at that moment he felt more like a best friend to her, rather than a possible love interest. And she realised that in good time, she could probably get over him and allow her heart to move on.

" Kazuki."

Makabe Fumihiko's voice snapped them back to attention, and they looked up to see him standing in front of Kazuki, a bundle of clothing in his hands.

" I wanted you to have this," Fumihiko said, handing the clothes to his son.

Kazuki unfolded the clothes and inspected them curiously. It was an Alvis uniform, one just like his father's.

" Father, why are you giving this to me?"

" I decided that since you're now sixteen, you're probably old enough to wear the older personnel's' uniform. Unless you don't want to, of course."

" No, no, it's fine," Kazuki said hastily. " I'd be honoured to wear it."

" Try it on, Kazuki!" Sakura exclaimed.

A light blush covered Kazuki's face. " What do you expect me to do? Just get changed in front of everyone?"

" The workers' rooms are just down the hallway, you could get changed in one of them," Canon said.

Kazuki could see there was no way he was getting out of this one. " OK, I will," he sighed in defeat.

" And hurry up while you're at it!" Kenji ordered as Kazuki wandered out of the room.

* * *

Kazuki strode the corridor, nodding politely to the other Alvis workers who passed him by.

" I've got to find an unoccupied room, one someone isn't likely to go into," Kazuki murmured under his breath. " It would be really embarrassing if someone walked in while I was changing."

He walked into the nearest room, closing and locking the door behind him.

He fumbled in the dark for the light switch. As the lights flickered on, his eyes locked with the single picture on the wall, and he realised where he was.

" Soushi's room."

He looked around, his body feeling numb. Everything was just as it had been on that day he'd visited; empty and lifeless. Except now everything was covered in a thin layer of dust.

_" There's nothing in here."_

_" Open your eyes! I have a bed, a table, a sofa and a picture on the wall."_

Kazuki slumped down onto the bed, swallowing the lump in his throat as memories of that day came flowing back to him with deadly force.

" I hated to think of you in this horrible, sterile place, day after day," Kazuki gasped out, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. " I'd hoped on that day I tried to rescue you from the Festum, that maybe when the war was over, you could come and live with me. I'm sure my dad wouldn't of minded."

Tears trickled down his face as he unbuttoned his jacket.

" I'd better hurry up or the others will send out a search party."

It suddenly occurred to him that he was getting undressed in Soushi's room, on Soushi's bed.

" Usually that only happens in my dreams," he chuckled, the sound devoid of happiness. " Though Soushi's usually there to watch and join in."

He finished dressing and looked down at himself critically. " Hmm, not too bad, I guess," he said.

As he was standing up, he noticed something that he didn't remember from his previous visit to this room. It was a little bedside cabinet, consisting of a cupboard, a shelf and a small draw.

He reached out tentatively, wondering if he should look inside or not.

" No-one's here to see me, and I am curious," he said, pulling open the draw.

The draw was almost bare, save for two photographs. One of Kazuki and Soushi as children, before the eye incident. And the other was of Kazuki alone, taken on what appeared to be their trip to the beach moths ago, on the day that Maya's father had returned.

Kazuki stared at the picture, transfixed. He wondered how Soushi had managed to get it, and why he'd wanted it in the first place.

" Could he have loved me as much as I loved him?" Kazuki pondered.

" Kazuki-kun! Are you there, Kazuki-kun?"

The sound of Maya's voice made him jump to his feet, picture still held tightly in his hand.

" Tomi! I'm in here. Hang on, let me just unlock the door."

" You're not still getting dressed are you? Because I could wait out here while you finish."

" No, it's aright. I'm done," Kazuki said, opening the door. " I just got a little distracted."

Maya stared at the photo in Kazuki's hand, trying not to let her surprise be noticed.

" Kazuki-kun, that picture..." Kazuki nodded at her. " Then this must be Minashiro-kun's room?"

" Yes. I've only been in here once before, after you rescued me from the Human Force," Kazuki said, making his way back inside and sitting down on the sofa. " I've never seen that picture before, though."

" You've only been in here once? I find that hard to believe," Maya said, sitting next to Kazuki.

" No, it's true. I love Soushi, but I've never told him so," Kazuki whispered.

Maya could help but gasp at hearing him say it out loud.

" Kazuki-kun, why on Earth didn't you ever tell him? Surely you could have seen how much you meant to him, too?" Maya asked, feeling amazed by his denseness. Then again, he didn't seemed to have noticed Shouko's feelings for him, or her own for that matter.

" I was never quite sure if he loved me, or if it was just wishful thinking," Kazuki continued. " I didn't want to risk losing him. I always figured I could tell him some other time. But now..."

He bit his lip and turned away, a shudder running down his spine.

Maya wasn't sure what to say. After a moment she stood up slowly, placing her hand on Kazuki's shaking shoulder.

" Come on, Kazuki-kun, let's go back to the party," she urged. " The others are waiting for us. They were getting a bit impatient when I left to find you."

Kazuki laughed and got to his feet. " They've probably eaten the birthday cake by now."

As they were walking back to the staff lounge, Kazuki suddenly thought of something.

" Hey, Tomi, did Canon get me a present? I didn't noticed one addressed from her."

" She did, in a way," Maya answered. " Last night she saw a shooting star and she made a wish on it for you. She said there was something she'd wanted to wish for herself, but felt that you deserved it more."

" What was the wish?" asked Kazuki.

" She wouldn't tell me - it won't come true if she'd told me. But," Maya turned to smile at him. " I think I can guess what it was."

Kazuki returned her smile wholeheartedly. " So can I."

* * *

" Commander Makabe, I hate to interrupt you on your off-duty hours, but could you come to CDC right away?"

" What's the problem?" Fumihiko asked, the phone pressed closely to his ear as he leaned back in his chair.

" The Solomon System has detected the presence of a Festum down on the beach."

" A Festum?" Fumihiko was on his feet in an instant. " I'll be right there."

He dashed out of his office and down the hallway, nearly bumping into Kenji and Sakura, who were on their way back to Sakura's room.

Sakura, who was rather tired out from the party, practically leapt out of her chair in alarm as the commander went racing past.

" Geez, what's he in such a hurry for?" Sakura yelped to Kenji, her eyelids heavy with fatigue.

" I don't know. But I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Kenji replied.

* * *

" Show me where this Festum is."

" It's right there, sir," Yumiko said, pointing at the monitor. " But it's odd. Solomon doesn't recognise it as an enemy, and it just seems to be sitting there."

" Well, keep your eye on it for awhile, and let me know if it shows any sign of hostility," Fumihiko said. " Tomorrow morning we can send out some of the pilots to take a look around. I think they were planning a day trip to the beach anyway."

" OK, sir. I'll give Kazuki-kun a call right away," Yumiko said in a businesslike way, reaching for the phone.

* * *

It was dark. The ground - sand - beneath him was ice cold, and the lapping of the waves could be heard nearby.

" What--" He paused, licking at his dry lips, his throat raw and aching. "--happened?"

_" Your body was repaired, so we sent you back. Now you can help us understand what a promise is. And what it is to keep one."_

Soushi forced his eyes open. His body felt numb and unresponsive, and even the smallest movement of his eyelids left him exhausted. Staring up into the cloudy sky, he saw a great, golden Festum hovering over him.

" I'm back?"

_" Yes. We will continue to watch you until we have understood this 'promise'."_

Feeling too tired to reply in words, Soushi nodded, and let the gentle rush of the sea breeze send him off to sleep.

* * *

" Kenji, are you sure you can only stay for a few minutes?" Sakura said in a whiney voice.

" Yeah, I'm sorry, but the others are meeting me here soon," Kenji said apologetically.

" I wish I could go with you. Stupid wheelchair." Sakura groaned and then yawned widely. " I don't know why I'm so tired today. All I did last night was sit there."

" And stuff yourself with enough food to feed an army," Kenji muttered under his breath.

" What was that!"

" Nothing!"

Luckily for Kenji, the door opened at that moment and Kazuki, Maya and Canon walked inside.

" Oooh, look at you in your nice new uniform," Sakura cooed at Kazuki, a hand pressed to her mouth as she started to giggle hysterically. " Aren't you a big boy now?"

Everyone stared at her with wide eyes.

" Er, Sakura, are you feeling alright?" Canon asked hesitantly. " You haven't been eating those liquor chocolates again, have you?"

" I'm tired! Leave me alone!" Sakura grumbled, rolling over and pulling the bed cover up over her head.

" Well, I guess we'd better be going," Maya said, eager to leave before Sakura said anything else that was odd.

Sakura peaked out from under the covers as the other four left the room.

" Bye, Sakura," Kenji called to her. " I'll tell you all about it when we get back."

* * *

The trip down to the beach didn't take that long. It was an old, familiar playground to them, so they all knew the quickest way down there.

Seeing as it was almost October, the air had a particularly cold sting to it, and Maya was starting to regret not having worn her jacket.

" What are we doing here, anyway?" she asked, rubbing her bare arms to keep warm. " My sister phoned you, didn't she, Kazuki-kun?"

" Yes. She said they'd detected a Festum on the beach, and they wanted us to check it out," Kazuki explained.

" A Festum?" Kenji repeated, eyebrows soaring to his hairline. " So why didn't they want us to go in the Fafners?"

" Because the Solomon System didn't recognise it as a threat," said Kazuki. " Though if it does turn out to be dangerous, I don't know how we'll fight it."

" We could engage in hand to hand combat with it," suggested Canon. The others looked at her as though she was crazy, and she flushed under their scrutiny. " It was just an idea..."

Kazuki sighed and pressed on, stumbling over the rocks. Suddenly a tingle ran down his spine.

_" Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?"_

Their heads shot up, eyes darting about erratically.

" Did anybody else hear that?" Kazuki asked, instantly on guard.

" I did," Canon nodded. " And like an idiot I left my gun at home."

" Yeah, because a gun would do SO much damage to a Festum."

" Shut up, Kenji!"

" Guys, don't start panicking or it'll hear us," Maya warned. " Besides, the system didn't think of it as an enemy, so it probably won't attack."

They were getting closer now, and could see the glowing golden Festum, hovering high up in the sky.

_" Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?"_

" Yeah, we are! Surely you should have worked that out by now?" Kenji answered. " You've fought us enough times."

" Don't answer it, you fool!" Canon scolded, smacking him on the shoulder.

" Keep your voices down!" Maya hissed. " Hey, Kazuki-kun, what do you think we should do?"

When she received no reply, she turned to him curiously, and saw that he was staring at something in the sand, his eyes wide with disbelief.

" Kazuki-kun, what's the matter?" Maya asked him.

" Soushi," he replied weakly.

" What!" the others yelped in unison, following his gaze.

There, in a crumpled heap upon the wet, pale sand, was Soushi.

" Soushi," Kazuki repeated, still frozen to the spot.

The blond boy lifted his head up, and blinked at them in confusion, before a weak smile of recognition covered his whole face.

" Kazuki... I kept my promise."

* * *

The end... for now!

See you in chapter two. It may take awhile, though.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own Fafner, Xebec does.

Author's note: This one isn't quite as long as the first chapter, but quality (hopefully) over quantity, eh?

There's a flashback to the "eye incident" in this one, because I never though the Anime made it quite clear what was going on there. It almost made it seem as though Soushi stabbed himself in the eye, but that can't be, or else Kazuki wouldn't have had so much blood on his hands, or felt so guilty about the accident. I concluded that there were two reasons why Soushi didn't blame Kazuki for what happened, both of which are in this chapter.

I also wanted to explore the idea of a new core, and thus "Shin" (meaning core or heart) was born. I was a little apprehensive about adding my own characters to story, but I suppose you can decide for yourselves if you like it or not.

I've included Yumiko and Michio's child in this chapter, too. A little girl named "Kibou" (which means hope). I thought it was a rather fitting name, because of that scene in episode 10, " The sign in the classroom says hope, because the children are the hope".

I also noticed that I've made Sakura obsessed with chocolate. I'm not sure how that happened. ;

Soushi's second dream is a reference to an official picture of Kazuki and Soushi (the one where they're snuggled up together during the sunrise, or sunset, I couldn't tell... Anyway, Kazuki is wearing his new uniform in the picture, and it is apparently set "a year later" after the TV series ended). That picture was pretty much the inspiration for this whole story.

And just in case you don't get the joke near the end of this chapter, there's a type of camera called "Canon" (though it mat be spelled with two n's).

But enough of my rambling. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

PART TWO: SLEEP - CORE

All Kazuki could do was stare.

" Hey, Kazuki, snap out of it!" Kenji ordered, shaking him by the shoulders. " We've got to get Soushi back to Alvis."

" Shouldn't we get him some clothes first?" Maya asked, a blush on her face.

That snapped Kazuki out of it. In an instant he was at Soushi's side, tearing off his own jacket and covering him with it.

" Come on, we've got to take him home," Kazuki said, happiness shining in his eyes as he pulled Soushi into his arms. Not that Soushi noticed, as he had fainted after his brief few words to his friends.

Canon was dialling away on her phone. " Hello? This is Canon Memphis here. Could we have a little assistance, please? Minashiro Soushi has returned."

* * *

" Hey, Sakura! I've got great news!" Kenji bellowed, bursting in the door with a loud crash.

Sakura, who had been resting peacefully up until now, sat bolt upright and snorted in a rather undignified fashion as she was jerked from her sleep.

" Ah! Kenji, don't do that! You'll give me a heart attack one of these days," she cried in annoyance. Her eyes then came to rest upon the box in Kenji's hands. " Ooh, you brought me a present. What's the occasion?"

" Seeing as today marks three weeks since you first woke up from your coma, I thought you deserved something special, so here, happy anniversary," Kenji said, handing her the small box of chocolate toffees.

" Aw, that's so sweet. Thank you," said Sakura, eagerly accepting the chocolates and pulling the lid off. " But why didn't you come back to visit me again yesterday? I wanted to know what happened with that Festum."

" We were a little busy yesterday," Kenji said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. " Guess what we found when we went to look for the Festum."

" I can't be bothered to guess, just tell me."

" Minashiro Soushi."

The chocolate she'd been about to eat fell from Sakura's fingers, hitting the metal floor with a resounding 'plop'.

" Wow, Soushi's back?" A sly smirk played at the corners of her mouth. " So how did Kazuki react? Did he leap up and down in joy, before ravishing him in front of all of you?"

" Not quite," Kenji chuckled. " He just gawked at him, looking like a fish out of water, until I snapped him out of it. I'm sure the gawking wasn't at all caused by Soushi's lack of clothing, of course."

" Naked Soushi? I'd liked to have seen that." Sakura noticed the dark look Kenji was giving her. " Oh, don't get jealous. I just think Soushi's cute, that's all."

" Hmm, well it's a good thing he wouldn't be interested, or else I'd have to fight him for you," Kenji said, glaring at the bedspread.

Sakura leaned towards him, cupping his chin in her hand and tilting his face towards hers.

" You really don't have to worry, Kenji. Not about anyone," she said in a velvety voice. " You're the only one I love."

Moving in closer still, she kissed him soundly on the lips.

" S-sakura, I--" Kenji stammered as she pulled away, his face as red as a tomato. " I love you, too."

Sakura smiled and nuzzled at the side of his face. " Now come on, tell me what else happened yesterday."

" I'll tell you in detail if you want," Kenji said, swallowing. Sakura nodded. " OK, we went down to the beach and quickly spotted the Festum. It asked us if we were there, you know, the same old line. Then we noticed that Kazuki was looking at something in the sand. Maya asked him what was wrong, and Kazuki just said 'Soushi'. It was then that we realised that Soushi was laying in a heap on the sand."

" It sounds like something out of one of Mamoru's Mangas," Sakura murmured.

" Heh, yeah. Then Soushi said 'Kazuki, I kept my promise', and proceeded to pass out."

" Oh, how dramatic!" Sakura exclaimed, holding the box of chocolates out to Kenji, who happily accepted one. " What promise did he keep then?"

" I have a vague idea. Every time I've asked Kazuki why he thinks Soushi is coming back to the island, his answer has always been, ' I know he will - he promised'. It seems he was right."

" He sure was," Sakura said. " I guess Kazuki's real birthday present came a little late, eh? So, where are they now?"

" Soushi is sleeping in one of the medical rooms, and Kazuki's probably watching over him," Kenji said.

" Sleeping? You mean he's in a coma?"

" No. He just seems to be sleeping. That's what Tomi-sensei said," Kenji answered with a shrug. " We'll go and pay him a visit once he's awake. But for now, we should just leave him to Kazuki."

* * *

Kazuki sat by Soushi's bedside. Watching. Waiting. Hardly able to believe it. Soushi was back, he was really back.

Soushi mumbled something in his sleep, his fingers clenching and twitching, his face scrunching up in a frown.

Kazuki reached out and trailed his own fingers across Soushi's scar, still perfectly intact.

" The Festum even let this remain, huh?" he commented, unable to take his eyes away. " Tomi-sensei, are you sure he's alright? Why isn't he waking up?"

Chizuru looked up from her desk, where she'd been writing up Soushi's medical reports, and gave an exasperated sigh. " Kazuki-kun, I've already told you three times; he's perfectly fine. No sign of injury, or even a trace of assimilation. His body is just completely drained, no wonder he's asleep."

" But he's been asleep since we brought him here yesterday!" Kazuki insisted, his tone worried. " Shouldn't he have woken up by now?"

" Kazuki-kun, God only knows what happened to him when he was with the Festum. From what you've been saying they had to rebuild his whole body; that's quite an ordeal to go through. So can you please stop fretting and just let him sleep? From our calculations he should wake up sometime tomorrow."

Kazuki finally accepted defeat, and just settled for staring at the sleeping boy. " Do you think he's having nice dreams? He doesn't look all that happy."

" I don't know. You'll just have to ask him when he wakes up."

* * *

As he slept, Soushi dreamt. Or maybe he was simply remembering. Either way the memories came rushing back to him, of that fateful day almost seven years ago. The day when everything changed.

He could still remember it; that whispery voice coming though the radio, asking them if they were there. And even when they'd replied, it still persisted.

That's when panic had set in upon the group.

Kouyou had been the first to bolt away, with Maya and an ailing Shouko struggling after him. Kenji, Mamoru and Sakura, ever the tight-nit trio, had been next, running past the shrine, the chimes jingling at their retreat.

Leaving just Kazuki and Soushi to gaze at the radio in wonder, unable to comprehend what this event would do to them, or what was about to follow just moments later.

Soushi often wondered if that was why they'd been the first of their generation chosen to fight the Festum, because they had all been there on that day. They had answered the question.

Soon after the others' departure, Soushi knew something would happen. It started off as a tingling in the back of his head, as though something had awoken deep within him.

He then turned to Kazuki, eyes glazing over and becoming a deep shade of red, the brilliant green crystal jutting out of his palm.

" Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?"

Kazuki's eyes widened in fear, and he backed away up against the tree.

" Soushi, what are you doing?" he asked weakly.

" We can become one now, Kazuki," Soushi whispered, his voice hollow and emotionless. " Let's become one... Kazuki."

Kazuki screamed in terror as he grappled with Soushi, trying to keep the crystal at bay. And then in that instant Kazuki shoved Soushi's hand away, straight into the blond boy's left eye.

Soushi froze. Kazuki froze. And then the blood began to pour from the wound, coating Kazuki's hands.

The crystal burst and Kazuki hastily pulled away, staring down at his hands in shock, then back at Soushi, his mouth agape.

Soushi's hand instantly went to cover his eye, a cry of pain ripping from his throat as the reality of what had happened set in.

And then Kazuki turned and fled. As fast as he could possibly go.

Soushi sat upon the bloodstained grass for what seemed like hours, staring after Kazuki, before realising that he needed to get his eye patched up before he bled to death.

He stumbled through the doors of the clinic a few minutes later, hand still pressed to his face.

Tomi Chizuru looked up, nearly screaming in horror at the sight of him.

" Oh my God! Soushi-kun!" she exclaimed, running over to him as he continued to lean wearily against the doorframe. " What on Earth happened to you?"

" I--" he started, falling against her stronger body.

" Yumiko! Call Commander Minashiro. Tell him to get down here right away!"

" OK, mother!"

" I--" Soushi tried again, before everything went out of focus and the world faded before his eyes.

Soushi remembered waking up in bed a few hours later, a bandage over his eye.

His father had been sitting by his bedside, waiting for his son to wake up. And now he demanded to know who'd injured him like this.

" It was my fault," Soushi had answered tiredly. " I was out playing tag with Kazuki, then I trip over and landed on some rocks. One of them must have dug into my eye."

Soushi knew that Kazuki had often wondered why he never told anyone that he was the one who'd injured his eye, why he'd never blamed him or hated him for it.

And Soushi knew why he didn't blame Kazuki; because he'd tried to assimilate him, and Kazuki was just defending himself. And because even at the tender age of eight, he'd loved Kazuki more than anything in the world.

* * *

Their footsteps echoed in the gaping darkness as Doma and Seri made their way down the seemingly endless flight of stairs to the core's room.

" Doma-kun, we really shouldn't be going down here. Let's go back," Seri said, hurrying after her friend as he ambled down the stairs.

" I only want to take a quick look, just to see how he's doing today," Doma said, continuing on towards the core room.

Doma gazed up at the enormous carved doors before them. " Look, we'll stay for five minutes, that's all. If he didn't want us to be down here, the doors wouldn't unlock, right?"

Seri gave in as the doors slowly opened. " OK, five minutes. I guess the new core must be terribly lonely, being down here all by himself. I wonder if Tsubaki-chan ever felt lonely?"

" Her brother probably visited her allot, just to make sure that she wouldn't," Doma said. Taking an apprehensive Seri by the arm, they stepped into the darkened room.

The Coagula stood in the centre of the room as usual. Immense and tall, the tank, full of red, water-like substance, housed the new core. Unlike Tsubaki, this core was a boy, and he had already grown to just over two years old.

The workers of Alvis weren't sure why the core was growing at such a fast pace, assuming that it had something to do with the fact that it was created directly by the Mir.

Doma and Seri crept slowly forwards along the metal pathway towards the tank, almost as though they were worried about accidentally disturbing the core from his sleep.

As they came to a stop in front of it, the core's eyes sprung open, staring at they intently with a gaze wise beyond its years.

The children jumped, holding in their gasps of surprise.

" Hi. We're sorry for waking you up," Seri said, holding her hand up in a half-hearted attempt of a wave. " We just thought you might be bored in here by yourself."

The core continued to stare at them, blinking his dark, forest-green coloured eyes. Stiffly and shakily, he held up one of his own tiny hands and waved back at them.

" Hey, he's saying hello!" Doma proclaimed excitedly, grinning at Seri. " Hi! I'm Doma, and this is my friend, Seri. Do you have a name?"

The core blinked at them, before shaking his head. Jerkily he moved his hands and feet, kicking them about in the water-like substance, he swam over to the front of the tank and pressed his hands up against the glass, gazing out at them with a sad look on his face.

" We'll have to ask commander Makabe what his name is later on," Doma mumbled quietly to Seri. " I don't like referring to him as simply 'the core'."

" I know what you mean," Seri agreed. " It makes it seem like he's some kind of thing. Just an object."

The core began banging on the sides of his tank, his mouth moving as though he was trying to speak.

" Oh, you can't come out of there yet," Seri said, trying to calm the child, and feeling like a monster when she saw the scared look in his eyes. " I'm sure you'll be able to leave once you're as big as Tsubaki-chan was."

" That could be sooner than we think," Doma said. " Remember when we visited a few weeks ago? He was only as big as Yumiko-sensei's daughter then."

" Yeah, I can't believe how much he's grown." Seri gave the young core another friendly look. " We have to be going now, but we'll visit you again soon. We promise."

As they left the core's face scrunched up in despair, and throwing his head back he began to sing a far more depressing, agonising version of the song that Minashiro Tsubaki had once sung.

* * *

The waves lapped at the shore. The sun shone high in the sky, making the rippling azure water shimmer. And for once Kazuki felt that the weather was perfectly in tune with his mood.

It was a beautiful day. A wonderful day. The most wonderful day of Kazuki's life. Soushi had returned, just as he'd said he would.

" I wonder if he'll wake up soon?" Kazuki pondered, his voice quiet amidst the churning ocean. " How will he act once he is awake? What if he's forgotten who I am? No, that can't be. If he'd forgotten, he wouldn't have returned."

Kazuki didn't know why, but he was suddenly overcome by a great sense of sadness. But he didn't have anything to feel sad about. Everything was perfect. Soushi was back.

" So why do I still feel sad?" Kazuki wondered. Pressing his hand to his face, he was surprised to find it wet with tears. " Why am I crying?"

" You can hear it, right?"

Kazuki started and spun around. " Kouyou! What are you doing here? How did--"

The brunette held a finger to his lips, effectively hushing the stuttering Kazuki.

" You can hear it, right? Listen closely."

Kazuki obediently closed his eyes, straining to hear anything else over the sound of the sea. It was faint, but he could hear it; a song, sad and mournful, echoing hauntingly across the land.

" Who's singing?" Kazuki asked. " They sound so sad. Why?"

" That is Shin."

" Shin?"

" The new core," Kouyou replied. " He is calling, and that is why I came."

Kouyou smiled at Kazuki serenely, eyes full of that odd, all-knowing quality that Tsubaki's had once possessed.

" You don't have to worry, you know. Soushi will awaken tomorrow."

" But when he does, will he still be himself? Or will he have become a Festum?" Kazuki asked, finally voicing the concern that had been praying on his mind.

" Soushi is not a Festum. Soushi is Soushi," answered Kouyou. " Akane listens, Tsubaki teaches and I answer. But Soushi does all three, while still remaining as himself."

" Why are you really here, Kouyou?" Kazuki asked.

" To answer Shin's call... and to offer my services."

* * *

Soushi was dreaming again. This time he was certain it was a dream, as it was one he'd dreamt many times before.

He was on a beach, the radiance of the sunrise before him, giving everything an orange tinge. The air was warm, yet with a hint of winter chill to it.

He'd be staring out across the sunlit water when a voice - his voice - calm and soothing as ever, would call out his name.

Soushi would turn and smile with relief as his blue eyes locked with familiar brown ones.

" Kazuki, you're here. You came."

Kazuki, looking slightly older and, though Soushi hated to admit it, a few inches taller than himself, returned the smile brightly.

" Of course I'm here. Why wouldn't I have come?"

" I don't know," Soushi replied softly, stepping forward and pressing against Kazuki, resting his head on the other boy's shoulder. " I love you so much."

Kazuki placed his own hand on Soushi's shoulder, pulling him closer still.

" I know," he murmured back, voice muffled by Soushi's hair. " I love you, too."

Just as Soushi closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to sleep in Kazuki's warm embrace, he heard the voice that he dreaded.

" Hey, you two! Say cheese!"

Click.

And from behind closed lids, Soushi could make out the flash of a camera going off.

* * *

" Kazuki, make her stop!" Soushi moaned in his sleep, twisting about on the bed.

Chizuru looked up from where she'd been working at her desk, and blinked in surprise.

" Well, I certainly hope he isn't talking about me," she said, laughing despite herself.

* * *

" Hey, big sister, you said you wanted to talk to me about something, right?" Maya said as walked through the doors of CDC.

Yumiko flicked off her computer monitor, and nodded at her sister. " That's right. I was hoping you could do me a little favour."

" What kind of a little favour?" Maya questioned suspiciously. Her sister could come up with some of the oddest plans, most of which involved matchmaking, something Maya never wanted to be a part of again.

" It's just, well, I promised one of the new girls that I'd stay behind tomorrow night and help her out with her shift. So I was wondering if you could... baby-sit Kibou?"

" Baby-sit!" Maya exclaimed shrilly, making everyone in CDC glance at her, much to her humiliation. " I don't know the first thing about taking care of a child."

" Well, it's about time you learned, or else the guy you end up with will be disappointed."

Once upon a time Yumiko would have made some sly comment about her Kazuki, but even she could see now that it would be a pointless endeavour.

Maya glared back at her as best as she could, nodding reluctantly, knowing that there was no way she could wriggle out of it.

" Alright, I'll do it. But I expect there to be plenty of food for us to eat. I'm not doing it if it means I have to cook anything."

" Us?" Yumiko repeated. " Who's us?"

" I'm going to try and convince Canon to join me in this little adventure," Maya said.

" That's fine with me. Bring the real camera, too, while you're at it," Yumiko said with a wink. " I know you're good at taking pictures."

" Very funny, big sister," Maya said, rolling her eyes.

The main doors opened again and Kazuki came inside. His gaze was cast to the floor and he seemed lost in thought.

" Oh, Kazuki-kun, hello. How are you--" Maya came to an abrupt halt as she noticed who was following Kazuki. " Kasugai-kun! What are you doing here?"

Kouyou was looking around CDC with great interest. After a moment he answered Maya. " I'm here to answer Shin's - the new core - call. Did you hear him singing just now?"

" The new core? We have a new core now?" Maya asked, thoroughly baffled by this revelation. " I did hear a sad sounding song awhile ago. That was our new core?"

" What!" Rina's angry voice made all heads turn to her. The girl had stood up from her post, fists clenched as she stared at them in angst.

" You mean Tsubaki-chan is really gone? She's not coming back? You've already found a replacement for her?"

" Minashiro Tsubaki does not exist here anymore," Kouyou answered in that bland, yet somehow mystical tone that only a Festum could manage.

" What about Minashiro-senpai? You Festum killed him, yet he still came back!" Rina retorted hotly, oblivious to how white Kazuki's face went at her words. " Why him and not Tsubaki-chan? What makes him so special? Maybe it's just a trick; he'll wake up and be dead on the inside. Just like you."

" Minashiro Soushi had a promise to keep. That is why he was rebuilt and allowed to return to this island." With that Kouyou turned to Fumihiko. " Commander Makabe, I have something I need to discuss with you."

Kazuki couldn't bare to hear anymore.

' _Rebuilt? He makes Soushi sound like some sort of robot,_' Kazuki though, feeling sick to his stomach. ' _What is Soushi has changed? Then what will I do?_'

* * *

The end of part two.

I'll start writing part three soon.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Fafner, Xebec does. If I did, Kazuki and Soushi would be an official couple. Though they practically are anyway...

Author's note: Sorry it's taken me so long to get the next part up, I haven't been very well lately. But it's longer than the other two parts, so that should please you. And I do intend to write a fourth part, just so you know.

I still haven't seen the ending to Fafner yet (the last DVD is out on July 18th, which also happens to be my birthday), so I'm praying that I haven't made any errors in continuity.

Someone asked about me making Kazuki taller than Soushi. That's because there was a picture up on Xebec's Japanese Fafner site with the caption " Makabe Kazuki (16) and Minashiro Soushi (15) a year later." under it. And Kazuki looked taller to me.

If you want to see the picture there's a link to my photobucket account in my profile (the picture is on the first page, as well as a picture of my character, Shin) and you can decide for yourselves if he looks taller or not.

But now, on to thew story!

* * *

PART THREE: AWAKENING - RELEASE

Kazuki knew from the moment he collapsed onto his bed that it was going to be one of those nights where sleep alluded him for some time.

Excitement and fear mingled inside him in a dizzying combination. Tomorrow Soushi would awaken, Kouyou had said so, so it must be true.

Of course, their own doctor had said the same thing, but Kazuki felt more reassured by the Festums' words than Chizuru's; they had been the ones to rebuild Soushi, after all.

" Rebuild him," Kazuki whispered into the darkness. " It doesn't sound right. I hope he hasn't changed. Kouyou said he would still be himself, yet, I can't help but worry."

The moment the sun had risen, Kazuki knew for sure that he'd be out of bed, dashing off to Alvis to be with Soushi.

" Maybe he'll already be awake when I get there," Kazuki said. Yawning, he closed his eyes. " He'll look up, see me, and give me one of those rare smiles of his. And then I pull him into my arms and tell him how much I've missed him. How much I love him..."

Kazuki felt a gentle pressure on the mattress beside him, and he opened his eyes, his gaze heavy and blurred with sleep.

He almost cried out when he saw Soushi sitting next to him, clad in the pyjamas he'd been given at the clinic, his hair loose and flung haphazardly over his shoulder.

" Soushi! What are you doing here? How did you get here? I thought you were still sleeping in the clinic?" Kazuki gabbled, his heart racing.

Soushi smiled down at him, blue eyes luminous in the darkness.

" It doesn't matter. I just wanted to see you again, Kazuki. I tried so hard to get back to the island, and in the end, I did." Soushi slid closer, lying across Kazuki's prone form, cupping his face in his warm hands. " Aren't you happy to see me? I kept my promise, right?"

Kazuki shuddered at the touch, his facing feeling as though it were on fire. " Of course I missed you. When you were gone I felt... broken." Kazuki swallowed and took a deep breath. " Soushi, I've wanted to tell you this for a long time... I love you."

Soushi's smile widened. " I love you, too," he replied, leaning forward.

Their mouths met in a long-awaited kiss. It was sweet and light, just as a first kiss should be, and with the promise of many more to come.

Kazuki moaned quietly and let himself be drawn into the kiss, scarcely able to believe that it was finally happening.

" It's like some wonderful dream," he choked out, gasping as Soushi's fingertips trailed playfully along the curve of his throat.

Suddenly it dawned on him.

" A dream. This is a dream, isn't it, Soushi? Soushi?" Kazuki gazed up at the other boy; Soushi's eyes had turned a dull red, and his touch as cold as ice.

" Minashiro Soushi isn't here anymore," Soushi said lifelessly.

" No! Soushi!" Kazuki screamed, sitting up in bed, clutching tightly at the covers.

He looked around in a daze. Everything was just as it was before, with Soushi nowhere to be seen.

Kazuki breathed a sigh of relief. " It was just a dream. I guess I did managed to get some sleep, in the end."

A moment later the bedroom door opened and his father poked his head inside. " Kazuki? Are you alright? I thought I heard you screaming."

" I'm OK, dad," Kazuki assured him. " I was just having a nightmare. Nothing important." Noticing the shards of light peeking in around the edges of his curtains, he looked at his father curiously. " Hey, what time is it?"

" It's just gone 6am," Fumihiko answered.

" Oh. I think I'll head over to Alvis in a little while. If you don't mind, that is," Kazuki said, throwing back the bedcovers and pulling on his slippers.

" Of course not," Fumihiko smiled. " I just hope Soushi-kun wakes up soon. It'll be nice to have you back to normal."

" I hope so, too, dad. I hope so, too."

* * *

As he made his way down the steps and towards Alvis, Kazuki was starting to wish that he'd remembered to bring a flashlight with him. Being 6.30am and almost October meant that it wasn't exactly bright. 

The sun had risen quite high in the sky by the time Kazuki reached the main door into Alvis. He stepped inside, relishing the warmth of the building.

He continued down the winding corridors, pausing at Soushi's precious vending machine to buy himself a drink. He was about to set off again when he remembered how close he was to Soushi's room.

" Precisely eleven steps away," he murmured, glancing over to the doorway. " If Soushi's going to wake up today and there's nothing wrong with him, then he'll probably be returning to this room." That thought left Kazuki strangely upset. " Maybe I can clean it up for him? Make it a little more homely."

Moments later he was inside the room. Glancing about, he was abruptly reminded of how clean and lifeless it already was.

" Well... it's still dusty. I can dust it for him," Kazuki said out loud, not sure who he was trying to convince.

He opened the bedside cabinet, looking for something he could use as a duster.

" Ah, this'll do," he said, pulling out a handkerchief.

He set his drink down on the bed, and began dusting along the desk.

After a few minutes the eerie silence started to get to him, and he looked up from his cleaning. He could have sworn he felt something watching him.

" Is someone there?" he called out, looking over to the doorway.

Alvis was quite empty at this time of day, and Kazuki didn't know who could be watching.

" I'm sure I felt something," he said, resuming his cleaning. " It felt like... someone's stare drilling into the back of my head."

_" Hello."_

Kazuki jumped, dropping his makeshift duster. " Who's there?" he demanded, casting his gaze around suspiciously.

_" Hello. What's your name?"_

This time the voice echoed clearly inside his head. The only person who had ever talked to him like that had been Tsubaki, when she'd called him to the core room one day.

" Hi. I'm Makabe Kazuki," Kazuki answered, feeling a little stupid, standing there talking to the voices in his head. " Who are you?"

_" I'm Shin."_

" Shin? The core?" Kazuki asked, recalling what Kouyou had told him the previous day. " How are you?"

_" Lonely. Nobody comes to visit me that much. I don't like being in here."_

" Would you like me to visit you?" Kazuki questioned, knowing that he could put off seeing Soushi for a few minutes, as he wasn't likely to wake up just yet.

_" OK. I'd like that. Do you know the way?"_

" Yeah, I've been there before to visit Tsubaki," Kazuki answered, putting the handkerchief back in the drawer, and grabbing his can of drink off the bed as he left.

It didn't take him long to reach the huge, dark flight of stairs that led to the core room.

_" Tsubaki... She was the old core, right?"_

" That's right. But she died during the last battle with the Festum." Kazuki stood before the core, gazing up at the large red tank. " I guess the Mir made you as her replacement."

Shin had grown even more overnight, now being about seven years old. His dark hair fell to his shoulders, and his green eyes seemed even wider, with the same odd markings as Tsubaki's.

" Do you know why I am here?" Shin asked, pressing his hands up against the glass.

" To be the island's new core."

" Do you know who I am?"

Kazuki was confused. " You're called Shin, aren't you?"

" Yes, that is what they call me. But everyone else has a last name. A family. They belong somewhere. Even the old core had that? So why don't I?"

" I- I don't know," Kazuki answered truthfully.

" That's the problem; neither do I." Shin rested his head against the glass, his expression sad. " Am I just an experiment created by the Mir? I want to find out why I'm here."

* * *

It had gone 7.30am by the time Kazuki made it to Soushi's room. Soushi was, much to Kazuki's disappointment, still asleep. 

The stillness of the blond's body made him appear almost dead, but the steady beeping of the heart monitor reassured Kazuki, in much the same way as a parents' comforting hug, that Soushi was still very much alive.

Kazuki pulled over one of the big, cushy chairs and sat down at Soushi's bedside, preparing himself for another long day of waiting and hoping.

Soushi's hand twitched for an instant, and his eyes moved under his fluttering eyelids.

" Dreaming again, huh?" Kazuki murmured, blushing as the memories of last night's dream suddenly came hurtling back to him. The trill that had raced through him at Soushi's phantom touch, the warm sweetness of his lips. It had all felt so real.

" I wonder if it'll really feel that good?" Kazuki said, trance like, placing his hand on Soushi's arm, causing the other boy to move in his sleep again.

The whooshing of the door jolted Kazuki from his rather embarrassing thoughts, and pulling his hand back he swung his flushed face around and saw Chizuru walking into the room.

" Ah, Kazuki-kun, you're here bright and early again, I see," she said as she spotted him.

" Yes, Tomi-sensei," Kazuki replied, bowing his head to hide the redness from view. " I have to make sure Soushi's alright."

Chizuru smiled thoughtfully as she made her way to her desk. " You're very fond of Minashiro-kun, aren't you?"

" Of course! I-I... I like him very much."

" You should tell him so when he's awake," Chizuru said, her eyes trailing overy a clipboard full of data.

" I intend to." Kazuki then noticed what she was doing. " What's that?"

" It's the results from the new pilots latest training session." At Kazuki sad look, she added, " Don't worry, they're doing fine so far."

" Oh. It's just... why do we need anymore pilots?" Kazuki asked, looking uncomfortable. " I though, since we defeated the Festum, nobody else would have to fight."

" I know how much you hate the thought of anybody else battling, but this is necessary," Chizuru began kindly. " By destroying that Mir, you sent the Festums into disarray. Many of them broke away from the main group and have been seen flying all over the place, completely out of control. Luckily none of them have appeared on Tatsumiya; except for that one when Minashiro-kun returned. But just in case they do come here, and they're dangerous, we still need pilots."

" I see," Kazuki said, not sounding at all happy about the situation.

" Kazuki..."

Kazuki nearly leapt out of his seat as Soushi softly uttered his name.

" Soushi!" he cried, grabbing the boy's limp hand. " Soushi, can you hear me?"

Soushi turned his head in Kazuki's direction, his eyes still tightly shut, and weakly squeezed Kazuki's hand in return. " Kazuki? Are you there?"

Kazuki was glad he hadn't phrased that question in the same way the Festums had.

" Yes, I'm here. I've been waiting right here for you," Kazuki said heatedly, almost afraid that the other boy would vanish again if he didn't keep him talking.

Soushi's eyelids fluttered once more and he smiled happily. " I kept my promise, Kazuki. I'm here."

" Yes, you kept it," Kazuki nodded, tightening his grip on Soushi's hand, feeling tears of relief prickling at his eyes. " I always knew you would, as long as I believed."

Chizuru watched from her desk, not wanting to spoil the moment, but knowing that she had to. " Kazuki-kun," she said quietly. " He isn't fully awake yet, you know."

" I know that. But soon, right?"

" Yes. Very soon. Do you want me to call the others, or would you like to be alone with him?"

" No, the others should be here," Kazuki answered, his gaze locked on Soushi's peaceful face. " I think we should all be here for this."

* * *

After the last few day's excitement, Maya thought she was in for a nice pleasant sleep and a chance to stay lounging in bed for a few extra hours. 

Apparently fate had other ideas.

The blaring of the telephone rung loudly and annoyingly through the Tomi residence, and with a disgruntled groan, Maya forced herself out of bed, yawning as she answered the phone.

" Hello? Who is this?" she demanded grumpily.

" Maya-chan? Are you alright?"

" Mother?" Maya asked, instantly more awake, and feeling immediately embarrassed about answering the phone so rudely. " I'm fine. Why are you calling me so early? Did something happen?"

" Yes. We think Minashiro-kun will wake up very soon. Kazuki-kun would like you all to be here when he does."

" Oh, I see," Maya whispered, the news shooting through her like a bullet. " I'll be there as soon as I can."

" Maya... I'm sorry. I know how much you liked Kazuki-kun, and I--"

" It's OK, mum," Maya cut in, swallowing down the lump that had gathered in her throat. " I knew this day would come eventually. I think Kazuki and Soushi are fated to be together; even if that is a very cliché way of putting it."

" I'm sure one day your heart will heal and move on."

" I think it's already started to, mum."

* * *

Canon had just finished making her bed, in her usual pristine military fashion, when Mrs. Hazama knocked on her door. 

" Canon? Can I come in for a moment?" she called.

" Yes. I've just been cleaning up my room," Canon answered, standing with her hands by her waist.

Mrs. Hazama came into the room, blinking in surprise at the cleanliness of it. Everything was packed away neatly, without a single trace of dirt.

" Do you approve?" Canon asked, after watching her survey the room.

" I do. It's just, you don't have to be so... organised," Mrs. Hazama said, struggling to find the right word. " Wouldn't you like to add some home touches of your own?"

" Home touches?" Canon repeated, looking genuinely puzzled. " What do you mean?"

" You know, posters on the wall, new furniture, things like that."

" I've never really considered it, to tell you the truth," Canon replied, shifting her awkward gaze to her feet. " But didn't you want to tell me something?"

" Oh, that's right. Tomi-sensei just called; she'd like you to come down to the clinic. Minashiro-kun is going to wake up soon, she says."

" Soushi? OK, I understand," Canon nodded. " I'll certainly be there."

* * *

Kenji was sprinting eagerly down the corridors of Alvis, much to the annoyance of the workers he really ploughed over in the process. 

With a belated apology to them, he skidded to a stop in front of the door to Sakura's room. Since he was already on his way to visit her, the two of them would probably be the first ones to get to Soushi; apart from Kazuki, of course.

" Hey, Sakura!" he greeted, throwing the door open boisterously. " I've got more news for you!"

" What? What is it now?" Sakura grumbled, struggling to sit up in her bed. " Can't you see I'm an invalid? I deserve my sleep!"

" Never mind about that! Soushi is waking up, and Kazuki wants everybody to be there."

" Really? Then what are we waiting around here for? Hurry up and fetch my wheelchair."

" Your wish is my command," Kenji said, grinning cheekily.

* * *

" I've finished making the calls, Kazuki-kun. The others should be here soon," Chizuru said as she walked back into the room. She smiled when she noticed that Kazuki was still holding Soushi's hand, and that Soushi was weakly returning the touch. 

" Thank you for your help. All of it. Not just with this," Kazuki turned to look up at her, his eyes still red and cloudy. " If it wasn't for your research I'd probably still be in a coma, or overcome completely by the assimilation phenomena."

" I'm only doing my job, Kazuki-kun," Chizuru answered, feeling greatly moved by his praise. She busied herself by checking over Soushi's monitors. " His breathing is normal, and his heartbeat is getting stronger. He could wake up at any time now."

A loud bang against the metal door and a cry of, " Kenji! Watch where you're steering this thing!" cut through the silence like a knife.

Chizuru hastily opened the door, just as Kenji and Sakura came barrelling inside.

" Oh, I'm sorry," Kenji said, managing to bring the wheelchair to a halt. " Are we too late? It hasn't started already, right?"

" You make it sound like a trip to the movies," Sakura muttered, shifting in her chair. " And isn't it obvious that he's not awake yet? His eyes are still closed."

" He could have woken up and gone back to sleep again right away."

" Why would he do that if he's only just woken--"

" Excuse me!" Chizuru broke in, clearing her throat. " We want him to wake up naturally, not because of you two loud mouths."

Kenji and Sakura at least had the courtesy to look embarrassed.

Kazuki didn't seem too bothered, and just smiled at his noisy friends. " Hi, you guys. Sorry for dragging you down here so early. I just thought you might want to be here when Soushi awakens."

" Don't worry, we do," Kenji said, pulling up a chair beside Sakura's. " We'll be quiet now."

" I wonder how long it'll be until he wakes up?" Sakura said. " And when will Maya and Canon get here?"

* * *

Maya and Canon had both just arrived at the main entrance to Alvis. They nodded in greeting when they noticed each other. 

" I see you got the call too, right?" Maya asked.

" Yes. I hope Soushi wakes up soon," Canon said. " I wonder how he'll act when he does? I remember how your friend Kouyou acted - not that I'd met him before his assimilation, but, still..."

" I know what you mean. Kasugai-kun is back now, but he doesn't quite seem the same," Maya said quietly. " I bet Kazuki-kun's wondering about that, too."

As they waited for the lift to reach the right level, Canon glanced at Maya thoughtfully. " Are you alright, Maya? Surely you know that once Soushi's awake Kazuki is certain to confess his feelings for him. How do you feel about that?" She stopped, looking nervous. " Or am I being too forward by asking?"

" You can ask, if you like. At first I was upset, angry that he didn't love me back. But then I realised during that night at the party, when he touched my hand, all I felt was friendship. And I knew that his heart was already spoken for, even when we didn't know if Minashiro-kun would return, it was still spoken for. One day I'll be able to move on and fully heal. Just... maybe not quiet today."

" Maya..."

" No, it's alright. Come on, the others are waiting for us."

Just before they entered the room, Maya grabbed Canon's arm, pulling her to a stop.

Canon looked at her questioningly. " What is it?"

" I just remembered; would you like to help me do some babysitting tonight?"

" Babysitting?" Canon repeated, saying the word as if it were an alien concept.

" My sister has to help someone at work tonight, so she asked me to baby-sit Kibou for her. I just wondered if you wanted to join me," Maya explained. " You don't have to if you don't want to."

" No, I'll do it," Canon agreed quickly. " Thank you for asking me."

* * *

Soushi's room had become rather crowded now that Maya and Canon had arrived. 

" Kazuki-kun, Minashiro-kun isn't awake yet, then?" were the first words out of Maya's mouth as she took her seat next to the others.

" I'm afraid now. But I think he will--" Kazuki froze mid-sentence as Soushi grip on his hand tightened considerably, and a startled gasp broke loose from Kazuki's throat as Soushi's eyes fluttered open.

The others, apart from Sakura, of course, were on their feet instantly, their voices full of excitement as they crowded around him.

" Soushi, you're awake!" they cried out, practically in unison. Soushi stared back at them, blinking drowsily.

Kazuki also remain sitting, unable to find the words to express the level of joy that was welling up inside of him.

" I didn't expect to see all of you here," Soushi said, his voice soft and tired. He looked at Kazuki, taken-aback when he saw tears in the other boy's eyes. " Kazuki, what's wrong?"

" I--" Rising to his feet, Kazuki pulled Soushi into his arms, not caring that the others were still watching, and buried his face against the soft skin of Soushi's neck. " I missed you so much!" was all he could manage to choke out.

Soushi smiled tenderly, stroking his dark hair. " I missed you too, Kazuki. It's OK, you don't have to cry anymore. I'm back now, and I don't intend to ever leave you again."

Chizuru chose this moment to excuse herself, saying that she had to phone Fumihiko and let him know that Soushi was awake. Her absence wasn't noticed by the two boys, who were still too wrapped up in each other.

Kazuki pulled back, his face still wet with tears, hands still around Soushi's waist, unwilling to let the other boy out of his grasp.

" Kazuki, your eyes are all red. Are you OK?" Soushi asked, letting his own hands rest on Kazuki's shoulders.

" I'm fine," Kazuki tried to assure him. " It's just a side-effect from my partial assimilation. They may go back to normal eventually."

" Yeah, don't worry yourself over it, Soushi," Sakura chimed in.

Soushi stared at her. " Sakura, why are you in a wheelchair?"

Sakura laughed at his puzzled expression. " Boy, have you got a lot of catching up to do!"

* * *

Makabe Fumihiko had been intending on catching up on some paper work. Just as he picked up his pen a knocking started on his office door. He couldn't help but feel relieved - he'd always hated paper work. 

" Come in," he said. He was surprised when Kasugai Kouyou walked in, his face calm and collected as it usually was nowadays. " Kouyou-kun, what are you doing here?"

" I was wondering if you'd had any time to consider what we talked about earlier; about letting Shin out of the Coagula and having myself take his place," Kouyou said, coming to stand before the desk.

" I'm not really sure yet," Fumihiko answered, feeling unnerved by the way Kouyou's unblinking eyes seemed to drill into him.

" Why not? The child you have in the Coagula wasn't even meant to be the core."

" What do you mean?" asked Fumihiko.

" The Mir created him to try and understand life even more, through the life it created itself. That's why he's ageing so quickly; the Mir is speeding up his life so that it can understand faster. The effect is heightened even more the longer he stays in the Coagula," Kouyou explained patiently. " If you wait another week or so, he'll probably be an old man by then. You don't even need a core anymore, seeing as the Festum haven't attacked again yet."

" But if they do we'll be defenceless!" Fumihiko argued. " The core powers most of Alvis' weapons."

" That is why I'll take Shin's place." Kouyou could tell Fumihiko was uncertain. " I will defend this isn't with my life. After all, I belong here too. So, will you agree to my plan?"

Fumihiko sighed resignedly and closed his eyes, nodding his head in consent. Looking up he saw Kouyou heading for the door. " Where are you going?" he asked in utter confusion.

A ghost of a smile covered Kouyou's face. " Well, now is a good a time as any, don't you think so, commander? And you'd better bring him a uniform while you're at it."

* * *

They stood before the Coagula, the boy inside it having grown even more. 

" His growth rate is still increasing," Kouyou stated. " It is imperative that we get him out of there soon. If only for his own safety."

" I know, you're right," Fumihiko said, handing the bundle of clothes to Kouyou. " Here, hold these for a moment."

Fumihiko typed in the code for the release mechanism for the Coagula, making the water drain away from the tube.

Shin stumbled forward as the glass lowered, falling straight into Kouyou's waiting arms. The child core stared up at him. " Who are you?" he asked.

" I am Kouyou. Once I was here as a human, but now I am here as something more. A cross between human and Festum. Rather like you, in a way."

" Like me?" Shin echoed, resting his head against Kouyou's chest.

" You should put these on," Kouyou said, holding the uniform out to him.

" What's this?"

" They're called clothes," Fumihiko responded, frowning as Shin pressed closer to Kouyou's steady frame. " You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you."

" I'll help you get changed. Here, hold your arms up," Kouyou said, pulling the over Shin's head.

It took a little while to get Shin dressed, but that was probably due to his limbs being so stiff and new. Soon though he stood there, dressed in a new, albeit somewhat baggy uniform.

" Now what do I do?" he asked Kouyou.

" You live your life," Kouyou answered.

* * *

The gang stayed with Soushi for almost an hour, until Soushi's persistent yawning had caused Chizuru to declare that the patient needed his rest and had ushered the others out of the door. 

" Kazuki can stay for a bit longer, can't he?" Soushi had asked in a pleading tone.

Chizuru hadn't even needed to hesitate. " Of course he can."

She'd watched for a moment as the two boys continued to sit in silence, just holding each other's hands, before she'd stood up and said, " I've just got to take these papers to commander Makabe. I'll be back in awhile."

And now they still sat in silence, Kazuki realising that he was finally alone with Soushi.

Soushi yawned widely, putting a hand over his mouth in a futile attempt to hide it from Kazuki.

" Soushi, you really do seem tired," Kazuki observed. " Are you sure you want me to stay?"

" Yes, I'm sure," Soushi insisted, tightening his hold on Kazuki's hand, to stop him if he tried to go. " Kazuki, I tried for so long to get back to the island, because I missed you and I wanted to see you again. Why would I want you to go now? You're the reason I came back."

" I missed you, too," Kazuki said again, not sure what else to say. Well, actually he knew what he wanted to say, what he'd wanted to say for years, he just didn't know how to say it. Every time he tried to get the words out, he'd freeze. " I've been waiting for you to return for so long," he said, feeling sickened by his cowardice.

" Really?" Soushi asked, mildly surprised. " How long have I been gone for? Time didn't flow right when I was with the Festums."

" Just over ten months."

Soushi's eyes widened. " Oh." He looked Kazuki up and down. " When did you get the new uniform? It looks good on you."

" A couple of days ago, for my birthday," Kazuki answered, unable to meet Soushi's gaze. " Dad gave it to me. He said now that I was sixteen I was old enough to wear the older personnel's' uniform."

This time Soushi looked away. " I'm sorry I couldn't be there for your birthday, Kazuki."

" Oh, it's fine. You're here now, so that's all that matters." Kazuki gazed at Soushi, feeling his nerves overcome him again. He wanted to tell Soushi how he felt, he really did. And Soushi wasn't too good with personal matters, so he probably wouldn't confess first. He'd promised himself that he'd confess as soon as Soushi woke up. Now that they were alone, it seemed like the perfect time.

" Soushi," he started, swallowing when he saw he had Soushi's full attention. " Soushi, I've been wanting to tell you this for ages. In fact I was planing on telling you after the final battle with the Festum, once we got home. But as you know, things didn't go as I expected." He paused, taking a deep breath. " Soushi, I love you."

Soushi gasped, his face covered in a mixture of shock and delight, which Kazuki took to be a very good sign.

" Kazuki, I... Oh, I'm terrible at these kind of things," Soushi stammered, looking flustered. " Of course I love you too."

Kazuki didn't know how to react, it was all so much to take in. Now only was Soushi finally back with him, but he loved him in return. In the end Kazuki went with his instincts; pulling Soushi into his arms, he kissed him with all the pent up feelings of the past ten months.

Soushi sighed against his mouth and returned the kiss eagerly, his fingers brushing through Kazuki's hair.

" I love you," Kazuki repeated as they pulled away from each other.

" I love you, too," Soushi gasped back.

There was nothing else that needed to be said.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Soukyuu no Fafner, Xebec does. Though I do own the character Shin.

Author's note: I'm still hoping I haven't made any errors in continuity, since I still haven't seen the last three episode. But the last DVD is out today! And it's also my birthday! Yay!

For some reason it took me ages to think up a title for this chapter, but I suppose it does fit, as someone gets healed and someone gets a home. You'll have to read on to find out who.

Oh, yeah. There are two new Fafner in this chapter. Mark Vee and Mark Zen. Mark Vee is a reference to my favourite Digimon, V-mon. Mark Zen doesn't really mean anything, I just thought it sounded good…

But enough of my rambling… on with the story!

* * *

PART FOUR: HEAL - HOME

" Where would you like to go?"

" Outside. I'd like to see this place."

" Very well."

Fumihiko watched as Kouyou took Shin by the hand and led him out through the doors of Alvis, out to the world beyond. He wondered momentarily if he should follow them, seeing as, in a way, they were both still Festum. But he had a hunch that they wouldn't cause any trouble, ad so he stayed put.

Shin clutched tightly at Kouyou's larger hand, like the way a child held onto its parent's hand as they were asked to cross a busy road for the first time, and past the boundaries of the place they knew well.

" It's beautiful," he whispered as they stepped out into the light.

Kouyou nodded silently and led Shin up to the lighthouse.

" This place feels..." Shin trailed off, the words catching in his throat. He placed his hands on the railings, gazing out across the sea. The last traces of daylight covered the sky, and the sun could be seen sinking beneath the horizon.

" Minashiro Tsubaki once stood here. Her presence can still be felt," Kouyou answered, standing beside the younger boy.

" When I am gone, will I be remembered?" Shin asked, his voice sombre in the evening air.

" To be remembered, you must first exist. You must touch the lives of the people around you. Go out and live, become close to people, and then surely you shall never be truly gone?"

" But, about Minashiro Tsubaki. I was made to be her replacement, wasn't I? Isn't that the purpose of my existence?" Shin stopped as Kouyou gazed at him. The wind had picked up, rustling their long hair, causing chocolate brown and ebony to mix.

" I believe that isn't your purpose, that's just what the humans here expected of you," Kouyou said, gracing Shin with the briefest of smiles. " Life is a journey. You must walk the road of your life, to see what destination it takes you to."

Kouyou looked behind him, over to the path leading up to the lighthouse, now lined with rows of pale yellow and red flowers.

" I wonder if the flowers remember their previous generations," he mused.

Shin looked at him blankly. " What?"

" As seeds, they were blown away to a new land by the wind, far from their home. Then as seedlings their roots spread, and one day they suddenly opened up their petals, the world new and frightening to them. Do they wonder about their families? About whether they live up to their expectations? About whether their petals are brighter and more vibrant than their forefathers' were?" Kouyou placed his hand on Shin's, staring intently into his wide, green eyes. " Or do they just grow their own way, content to find their own colours, to find their own place on this Earth?"

Shin stared back at him, his face flushed pink, feeling moved by his words. " T-thank you. I understand." He turned back to the sky, which had darkened to night. " Can we stay here for a little longer? I'd like to watch the stars come out with you."

Kouyou nodded. " Of course, I'd be happy to."

* * *

" Soushi, you're yawning again. Maybe I should leave now?" 

" No, please stay. At least until Tomi-sensei comes back."

" Why, are you afraid to be here by yourself?"

" Idiot."

" I'm sorry, Soushi. Let me make it up to you..."

Kazuki leaned forward and kissed Soushi softly on the lips. It was just one of the many kisses they'd shared since they'd confessed their feelings for each other earlier that day. Kazuki had spent the rest of the day with Soushi, but knew that he had to leave at some time.

" I wish you could stay here all night, then we could keep doing that," Soushi said breathlessly, licking his lips.

" Me too, but Tomi-sensei probably wouldn't allow it," said Kazuki.

Soushi nodded in agreement, clearly disappointed. " You know, I was wondering... If I'm released from here tomorrow, can you help me settle back into my room?"

" Your room?" repeated Kazuki, frowning.

" Well, there's nowhere else I can go."

" Oh, right. Of course." Kazuki stared at the bedcover thoughtfully.

" What is it?" Soushi asked.

" It's nothing much," Kazuki dismissed. " Sure, I'll help you tomorrow."

" Thank you, Kazuki."

Their mouths met in another kiss, just as Chizuru walked in. She cleared her throat and they hurriedly pulled apart, both blushing profusely.

" I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt," Chizuru said, voice ripe with amusement. " I could come back in a few minutes, if you'd like."

" No, no, it's fine. I was just leaving," Kazuki replied, straightening his uniform, embarrassment clouding his features. He looked down at Soushi, who gazed back at him with love in his sparkling blue eyes. " Goodnight, Soushi."

" Goodnight, Kazuki," Soushi replied softly. " I'll see you tomorrow."

Chizuru waited until Kazuki was out of the room, before turning to Soushi, " So, I see things went well between the two of you. I'm happy for you," she said, winking at the blushing blond.

Soushi smiled and looked down at his hands, resting in his lap. " Thank you. It did go well. Very well indeed. I'm glad I'm back home again."

* * *

Canon sat silently in the Tomi residence, trying not to feel awkward. She felt very out of place here, the whole building radiating a family atmosphere, something she had never really been a part of. 

She was glad she had undertaken the task of babysitting, as it gave her a chance to get out of the house, and to spend some time with Maya.

Kibou lay in her cot, sleeping peacefully, dark brown locks of hair falling across her face, oblivious to Canon's discomfort.

" At least you're relaxed," Canon commented, anything but that herself. She didn't know what was wrong with her, she'd tried to fit in, and the others had welcomed her with friendliness and open arms. Maybe it was her years spent as a solider? It was engraved into her soul; this stoic awkwardness.

" Here we are!"

Canon looked up to see Maya coming in from the kitchen, carrying a tray of steaming bowls of rice and tea.

" Now that Kibou is asleep, we can have our meal," Maya said, setting the tray down on the table. She sat down opposite Canon, smiling apologetically at the red-headed girl. " I'm sorry it's not much, but rice is about the only thing I can cook well. Seeing how my sister bailed out on me on the food issue, we'll just have to make do with this."

Canon hurriedly shook her head, picking up her chopsticks. " No, it's perfectly fine. I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble."

" Canon, it's not any trouble. You're not any trouble," Maya said pointedly, a frown marring her features. " I don't know why you insist upon believing that."

" I suppose I just feel like I don't belong here, because I wasn't born here," Canon began quietly. " This island is a special place, a paradise to the people who were born and raised here. Sometimes I feel like an intruder."

" You do belong here," Maya insisted. " You just arrived a little late, that's all."

Canon smiled weakly back at Maya, before dropping her gaze to the tabletop. " I'm sorry about Shouko. I heard she was a very dear friend to you. And living in her house, wearing her clothes, I worried that you might resent me, and think that I was trying to replace her."

" Canon, Shouko could never be replaced, just as you could never be replaced. Both of you are unique, and..." Maya trailed off, biting her lip and placing her hand on Canon's. "... Both of you are my friends. And I hope that one day you'll truly understand and accept that."

* * *

Over at the Makabe residence, Fumihiko and Kazuki had just finished their own meal. It came as no surprise that theirs had been far more elaborate than Maya and Canon's. 

It was when Kazuki was doing the washing up that Fumihiko approached his son.

" You know, Tomi-sensei phoned me earlier today," he started casually.

Kazuki jumped, almost dropped the plate he'd been drying in his surprise. " Oh? What did she say?" he asked, not looking up from the sink.

" She told me that Soushi-kun was awake."

" Yes. He woke up this morning. I've spent the whole day sitting with him." Kazuki flushed, knowing that sitting together wasn't the only thing they'd been doing. " He was very tired, but I guess that's only to be expected."

Fumihiko nodded and began stacking the clean plates away in the cupboard. " So you're a lot happier now, right?"

" That's right, I am. In fact I... I told Soushi that I loved him," Kazuki confessed, unable to keep the broad smile off his face.

Fumihiko looked at him knowingly. " And how did he respond?"

" He said he loved me, too. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

" I'd of thought any creature with functioning ears and eyes could tell how you two felt about each other," his father chuckled. " I'm glad to have you back to normal."

" I know. I'm so happy. And he'll be able to go home tomorrow. Probably..." Kazuki glared at the bubbly water in the sink, as though it were the cause of his sudden anger. " He'll go back to his room in Alvis."

" Well, you certainly don't sound too pleased about that," Fumihiko observed. " What's wrong?"

" I don't like to think of him all alone in that awful place," admitted Kazuki, his fists clenched. " It's so bare and lifeless, and Soushi is... He just doesn't belong in there. I don't want to leave him there on his own."

" What's your solution, then?" Fumihiko asked.

" I was wondering if he could, you know, come and live here with us," Kazuki mumbled, looking embarrassed once again. " If you agree. If he agrees."

" We haven't got a spare room for him, but I don't think Soushi-kun will mind sharing with you. I'm sure you'll have a lot of 'fun' together. If you haven't already," Fumihiko said, revelling at the mortified look on his son's face.

" Dad! I only confessed my feelings to him this morning! You're getting ahead of yourself!" Kazuki cried out, drying off the last of the dishes. " So I can ask him tomorrow? It's OK with you?"

" It's fine. I was kind of hoping he'd end up living with us. It'll be nice having another person around the house. It's been rather quiet since Akane-chan left us..."

Kazuki felt ashamed at the sad look that passed over his father's face. He hadn't wanted to bring up the topic of his mother, seeing how guilty Fumihiko still felt about it.

" Thank you for your kindness, dad," Kazuki said after a moment of silence. " I guess I'd better go and get my room ready, just in case he says yes."

* * *

Sakura was awoken the next day by a soft knocking on the door to her room. 

" Huh?" he mumbled, her brain still hazy with sleep. " What's that noise?"

The knocking continued steadily, until at last it clicked in her sleep-addled mind just what the noise was.

" Oh. The door. Come in! Geez, it's much too early for visitors..."

She soon stopped grumbling when she saw who one of her visitors was.

" Kouyou! You're back!" she exclaimed. Her eyes came to rest on the shorter boy standing beside the brunette. " And who's this?"

" This is Shin," Kouyou answered simply.

When he didn't elaborate, Sakura prodded, " And? Who is he? Your boyfriend or something?"

Shin stared up at Kouyou with puzzled eyes. " Kouyou-sama, what's a boyfriend?"

" I'll tell you later," Kouyou said, gesturing for Shin to follow him into the little medical room.

" Shin was made by the Mir," Kouyou divulged further.

" Well, I can tell that's all the information I'm going to get from you about that," Sakura said, grinning wryly. " But what are you doing here?"

" I wanted to check up on all those who were assimilated by the Festum," Kouyou said, sitting down on one of the chairs by Sakura's bed. Shin doing likewise. " Unlike me, you remained as yourself. But by doing so you paid a great price."

" My condition," Sakura whispered.

" You lost the strength in your body, particularly your legs. It is a great shame," said Kouyou, seemingly unsympathetic. " Though I believe you may return to normal, given time."

" Well, that's real reassuring," Sakura muttered sarcastically, frustration clear in her voice. " I'm so glad you've given me your vote of confidence, oh great Festum crossbreed. I-- Hey! What do you think you're doing, little guy?"

Shin had placed his hands on Sakura's blanket-covered legs, staring intently at them.

" There is a blockage inside of you, inside of your legs. Something... I can feel it. It makes your legs so heavy, so full; unusable. It stops you from walking, doesn't it?"

" That's right. My legs became paralysed when I woke up from my coma. They haven't got better yet."

" Your legs have been assimilated, but maybe I can..." Shin closed his eyes, tightening his grip until it was almost painful. And for a split-second everything went green; that shimmering, emerald green of the assimilation crystals.

Sakura shielded her eyes until the light faded away. When it was over she gazed at Kouyou and Shin uncomprehendingly.

" What the hell was that? What did you do to me, you--!"

" Try moving your legs." Shin's young voice cut in, halting Sakura's rant.

With a grunt of irritation, she complied with his request, only to cry out in disbelief when she stiffly managed to wiggle her toes.

" You-- What did you...?" She sat up hurriedly, swinging around and dangling her legs over the edge of the bed. " I can move my legs! I can move them!" She gaped at Shin with tears shining in her eyes. " You little treasure! How did you do that?"

" I think it had something to do with the fact we were both created by Mir; myself and the assimilation crystals that were in your body," Shin answered. " I'm glad I could help."

Sakura grinned wildly and pulled Shin into a bone-crushing hug. " That's putting it mildly! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Who needs medicine when we've got you on hand?"

" If you had been injured by some normal means, for example; falling off a roof and breaking your back, he wouldn't have been able to help. It was only because you'd been assimilated," Kouyou spoke up. " But, still, you did a good job, Shin. I'm very proud of you."

Shin blushed brightly and grinned back at Kouyou. " Really?" he said, green eyes dancing happily.

Sakura finally released Shin from her embrace, letting him sit back down in his chair.

" I can't wait to see how Kenji will react when he visits me later on," Sakura said, a mischievous look on her face. " I'll sit in my bed as usual, and then suddenly leap up and surprise him. He'll probably faint from the shock!"

Shin giggled at her enthusiasm, and even Kouyou, his sense of humour having obviously been affected by his assimilation, cracked a smile.

" Honestly, I can't thank you enough," Sakura said, the reality of the situation setting in. " I can start to live again!"

* * *

Kazuki had been rallying his courage all morning, and now the moment he'd been waiting for had finally arrived: he was going to ask Soushi to move in with him. 

With a deep breath he made his way into Soushi's room. " Good morning, Soushi," he called.

The blond was sitting up in bed, reading some sort of overly complicated looking book. He glanced up at Kazuki's greeting, however. " Good morning, Kazuki. Did you sleep well?"

" Yes, I did. Thank you." That was a bit of a white lie; he'd been too worried about his upcoming proposition to get any decent sleep the night before.

" Kazuki, what's wrong? You look kind distracted," Soushi said, concerned, putting his book down. " Are you afraid that someone's going to walk in on us again?"

Kazuki laughed despite himself. " No, no. I just wanted to talk to you about something, that's all." Kazuki sat down on the bed, taking Soushi's hand in his own, swallowing lightly as stormy blue eyes stared into his own. " It's just, you're being released from here today, aren't you?"

" That's right," Soushi nodded, his loose hair flopping about at the movement of his head. " You said you'd help me move back into my room here. Hey, you're not having second thoughts about that, are you? You promised me you'd help."

" I don't like that room. It's dead, empty. You don't belong there. You belong in a home, a real home. You belong with me, and I belong with you," Kazuki said boldly.

" Kazuki, are you insinuating what I think you are?" whispered Soushi in understanding.

" Yes. I want you to come and live with me. I've already asked my father, and he's fine with it. In fact he said he'd always hoped that one day you'd live with us." Kazuki felt a blush begin to march its way along his face. " We don't have a spare room, so I guess you'll have to share mine. If you don't have a problem with that."

Soushi chuckled, a rare event for him. " Of course I don't mind."

" So... is that a yes, then?" Kazuki asked, hardly able to bring himself to believe it.

" It's a yes. I'll move in with you, Kazuki."

Kazuki couldn't hold in his loud cheer of delight. Pulling Soushi forward, he kissed him excitedly.

And the Chizuru walked in. Again.

* * *

" Commander Makabe, you should come and take a look a this," Yumiko's voice sounded over the intercom. 

" What is it?" Fumihiko almost sighed; he'd been hoping for a nice, peaceful day. Apparently all chance of that had been thrown out of the window.

" The Solomon system is responding. It's another Festum, a Sphinx type. And this one appears to be hostile."

" I'll be right there," he answered. " Tell Mark Vee and Mark Zen to launch. But don't attack unless it attacks first."

" Understood, sir."

Mark Vee and Mark Zen were two of their newest Fafner, piloted by Seri and Doma respectively. This would be their first real battle.

" I'd prayed never to see these kind of days again," Fumihiko said to himself as he strode down the corridor to CDC. " Let's just hope this is a one off occurrence."

It only took him a short time to reach CDC. The control room was abuzz with activity, even Maya had been called in to assist with the battle.

" What's the situation?" Fumihiko asked, taking his place in his usual chair.

" The Festum's movements seen rather erratic," Yumiko replied. " The image will be displayed on the monitor now."

Everyone in the room felt unnerved by the golden being that appeared as large as life on the huge screen, it seemed so long since they'd last seen one like this.

" It's the same kind that Kazuki fought in his first battle," observed Fumihiko. " By the way, where is Kazuki?"

" I think he's still in the medical block with Minashiro-kun," Maya answered him.

" Ah, good. I'd rather not drag them into this again," Fumihiko uttered, watching the Festum's movements. " It seems to be looking for something."

" Maybe it's looking for the Mir?" suggested Maya. " It's probably been confused since we destroyed the north-pole Mir."

" Maybe... Where is Kasugai Kouyou when we need him?" Fumihiko said exasperatedly. " He said he'd become the island's new core if we let Shin out. We're practically defenceless without him."

" Kasugai-kun can't become the core just yet, sir. We're having to re-wire the Coagula to unite with his body. It should be ready in about a week."

" Well, that doesn't help us now, does it?"

" Sir, our sensors indicate that Kasugai-kun and Shin are at the top of the light house," Rina said, eyes scanning her screen.

" The light house?" Fumihiko repeated. " What are they doing up there?"

" I don't know, sir. But our sensors also indicate that the Festum is heading in that direction, too!"

* * *

" Shin, you shouldn't be up here. It isn't safe." 

Shin stood, leaning against the railings, gazing out across the ocean. Despite the sunny weather, it was surprisingly breezy, blowing his hair and baggy uniform about.

" That thing," the boy began, pointing up at the approaching Festum. " Is that like us, as well?"

The Festum was hovering right above them now, it's arms extended out in their direction.

" _Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?_"

" Shin, stay back. This is not one of us. It has broken away from us," Kouyou warned, standing protectively in front of the younger boy.

" Not one of us? Part we are part of the Festum race, and that is a Festum. I don't understand."

" Just stay back."

Seri and Doma were rapidly closing in on the light house.

" I've got a lock on the enemy," Seri said from inside her golden Mark Vee. " Should I fire?"

" No, wait. Let's see what is does first," Fumihiko's voice came through their radio's.

" But, commander, we can't just sit here and do nothing," Doma started to protest from inside the silver Mark Zen.

The pair of the watched in shock as a split-second later the Festum extended its hand, shoving Kouyou to the side. The brunette was flung backwards, straight into the hard light house wall.

" Kouyou-sama!" Shin cried out desperately, running to his side. He shook the older boy's unconscious form. " Please, answer me!"

He turned back to the Festum, a furious look burning on his innocent face.

" _Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?_"

" Yes. I think I'd like to be here." He looked at Kouyou, then to the Festum. " How dare you hurt him... Why are you attacking? We didn't do anything to you!"

Assimilation crystals burst out of the Festum's hand, and suddenly it sprung forward, digging the sharp green shards into Shin's stomach.

Everyone, both the pilots and those back in CDC gasped at the moment the Festum struck.

The dark headed boy's body jolted, and then went limp with shock. Shin shuddered violently as the pain set, blood oozing from the deep wound.

The Festum lifted its arm, leaving Shin dangling weakly from the green crystal.

Seri and Doma quickly took matters into their own hands.

" Fire!" they yelled in unison.

Seri fired first, blowing the Festum's arm off, causing Shin to fall back on to the top floor of the light house, just missing the pointed railing. Then Doma fired another shot, this one striking the Festum in its head. It sparkled for a moment, before exploding in a familiar black cloud.

" Pilots, return to base," Fumihiko ordered. " And get a medical team out to the light house. Quickly!"

Kouyou struggled to his feet, stumbling over to Shin's fallen body. The boy had his hand clasped tightly around the crystal that was jutting out of his stomach. After a moment it exploded, showering them in a wave of green particles.

" It looks kind of pretty, when that happens," Shin slurred, his eyes hazy.

" You're getting faint from the blood loss," Kouyou said, kneeling down beside him. " You should just stay still until help gets here."

" Are you concerned about me?"

" Of course I am," Kouyou whispered. " You know, looking as you do, you almost remind me of someone I once cared dearly about; Shouko..."

" Shouko? What were they like?"

" She was wonderful."

A peaceful smile spread over Shin's pale face at his words, and he fainted dead away, Kouyou clutching at his hand. This was how the rescue team found them when they arrived.

* * *

" Really? That's wonderful news, you two. I'm sure you'll be very happy together." 

After walking in on them again, Kazuki and Soushi had quickly explained the situation; about how Soushi was moving in with the Makabe's. Chizuru seemed almost as pleased as them about the news.

" Soushi's all better now, right?" Kazuki asked eagerly. " So he can come home with me right away?"

" Kazuki, you make me sound like a dog that you're picking up from the vet," Soushi muttered disdainfully.

" Yes, he can go home. But make sure he gets plenty of rest. I'm you know he has a tendency to take on too much work," Chizuru chuckled, handing over Soushi spare Alvis uniform.

" You're right, he does," agreed Kazuki, frowning disapprovingly at Soushi, as the blond started to pull off his pyjama top. " We're going to have to do something about that. You need to take it easy while you're still recovering. And I don't think you eat enough. You need to take better care of yourself!"

" God, Kazuki, you sound like you're my wife or something."

" Well, I wouldn't mind being your wife."

" ... What?"

Chizuru laughed inwardly at their antics. " There's some spare boxes in the back room there, if you need something to put Minashiro-kun's things in."

" Thanks, Tomi-sensei," Kazuki said, still watching Soushi like a hawk. Now that he finally had him back, he didn't want to let him out of his sight.

The phone began to ring shrilly, and Chizuru quickly answered it.

" Hello, this is Chizuru. Oh, commander, what is it?"

" There's been a Festum attack on the light house. A couple of people were injured; one of them got stabbed pretty badly. The medical team is bringing them to you right now. I need you to be prepared."

" Understood, sir. I'll be ready."

" Oh, and are Kazuki and Soushi-kun still there?"

" Yes, sir, they're here," Chizuru answered, noticing that the boys in question were looking over at her curiously.

" Please don't tell them anything about this; the Festum attack."

" I won't, don't worry. Goodbye, commander." Chizuru put the phone down.

" What did my father say?" Kazuki asked instantly.

" It's just an emergency case, nothing that concerns you," Chizuru said briskly.

Kazuki raised an eyebrow sceptically, obviously not believing her. " Surely my father doesn't call you every time someone's been badly injured?"

" No. Look, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to leave you now," Chizuru said, heading to the door. " Good luck on the move," she said over her shoulder as she hurried off down the hallway.

" Well, that was sure odd," Kazuki said, blinking owlishly.

" Kazuki, I'm ready to go now," Soushi voice cut in to his puzzled thoughts. The blond was leaning unsteadily against the wall. " Though I may need a bit of help."

A short while later they were in Soushi's Alvis room, packing things away in the two cardboard boxes they'd managed to find.

" Wow, I didn't know you had this much stuff, Soushi. Though I think your pills make up most of it. They must take up about half a box on their own," Kazuki said, placing yet another pill bottle into a box.

" Oh, be quiet," Soushi scolded softly, putting his group photo into the other box. " I think that's almost everything."

" What about the photos in your bedside cabinet?"

Soushi looked up sharply. " What? How did you know about them?"

Kazuki cursed his carelessness mentally, and gave Soushi a guilty look. " During my birthday party I came in here to change into my new uniform. I noticed the cabinet, and... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snoop. I was just curious. Please don't be mad at me.

" I'm not mad at you, Kazuki. Well, I might have been if I didn't know about your feelings for me. But now, it's fine." Soushi held up the photo of Kazuki on the beach. " Tomi took this for me, you know."

" Tomi did?"

" Yes. And she teased me mercilessly about it." Soushi sighed and sat down on his bed, the picture still in his hand. " I can't help but feel sorry for her."

" Why is that?" Kazuki asked, sitting next to Soushi.

" You know, because she loved you. Shouko and Canon did, too."

" What! Are you serious? All three of them?" Kazuki yelped, his eyes as wide as saucers, seeming genuinely surprised.

" You mean you couldn't tell? Oh, Kazuki, you really are dense."

" But, but, I--"

" Kazuki, you can apologise to them for being an idiot later on. For now, let's get going," Soushi said, putting the last of his clothes into the box and then picking it up, cradling it in his arms.

Kazuki nodded weakly, picking up the other box and following Soushi out into the corridor, past the vending machine.

" Let me just say goodbye to it," Soushi said, putting some money into the machine, and getting a couple of drinks and come chocolate bars. " For later, just in case we don't feel like cooking."

" You mean just in case I don't feel like cooking," Kazuki corrected him.

" Yeah, that's more like it."

And with a fond smile at each other, the two of them continued on down the hallway, ready to start their new life together.

* * *

The end of part four. Look out for part five!

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Soukyuu no Fafner, or its characters. They belong to Xebec. But I do own Shin.

Author's note: I finally saw the last Fafner episodes! Boy, were they depressing, yet great at the same time. I hope they hurry up and make a sequel - I want to see Soushi come back and leap into Kazuki's arms! They should make one soon, after all, they made the TV in 2004, the prequel in 2005, so they should make the sequel in 2006.

But enough about that. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I have been in much of a writing mood, and this chapter didn't turn out quite the way I expected it to; several ideas I was planning on putting in it will just have to wait until another chapter.

Oh, and I am aware that the names for my Fafners don't really make any sense, and that Fafners names are usually all German numbers (except for Kazuki's second one and the Festum's Fafner). I just needed a name quickly, and that was the best I could come up with.

Just to let you know, I'm going on holiday on the 11th September, so I probably won't update again before then, unless I get a sudden flash of inspiration, of course.

Finally, Usually between each scene in a story I'd use "ruler" line, as they call it, to break up the scenes, but since that hasn't been working for the last day or two, I hate to use a line of "x"'s to break up scenes, which just looks messy to me. I'm sorry if it annoys you as much as it annoyed me...

Enjoy the chapter!

CHAPTER FIVE: SECRET - VISIT

The darkness was all around him, deep and seamless, seeming to stretch on endlessly. Somewhere between the misty brink of sleep and consciousness, Shin could make out faint, far-away voices. They were muffled, like someone talking to you on the other side of a window.

" The operation went well, but he lost a lot of blood," that doctor, Tomi Chizuru, he managed to recall her name, was saying to the one in charge, Makabe Fumihiko. " It's a miracle he wasn't assimilated."

" But he will recover, won't he?" Fumihiko asked.

" Yes, sir. He won't be better for at least a week, probably more."

" What about Kasugai Kouyou?"

" He just has a slight concussion, he'll be back to his, um, 'usual' self in a day or so," Chizuru said. " Just in time too, I hear."

" Yes. We'll have finished the changes to the Coagula soon, he can become the new core in a couple of days."

" That's good news, sir."

Shin felt his blood run cold. A strange mixture of pain and fear that he couldn't understand, twisted inside his heart.

' _Kouyou-sama is... going inside the Coagula? He's leaving me? And he didn't even bother to tell me? I can't let that happen. I won't let it happen!_'

He didn't know how he would accomplish it, but somehow he would keep Kouyou from leaving him. That he swore.

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The streets were completely empty as Kazuki and Soushi made their way up the steep steps to the Makabe house.

" It's strange, I wonder where everyone is?" Kazuki said, readjusting his grip on his cardboard box. " It's quite a nice day, too. I'd of thought people would be out enjoying the weather."

" I don't know. But I agree with you, it is rather odd," Soushi said, sounding tired out, his breath escaping him in quiet pants.

Kazuki watched in concern as Soushi leant against the wall, clutching at it tightly for stability. " Soushi, are you OK? We're not walking too fast for you, are we?"

" I'm fine. Just a bit tired, that's all. We're almost at your house, anyway."

" Hey, don't forget, it's your house too, now," Kazuki reminded him.

Soushi smiled back at him. " That'll take a little getting used to."

Kazuki set his box down, taking the house key from his pocket and unlocking the front door. Soushi followed him inside the house, looking around with interest.

" I'd forgotten what your house looked like, Kazuki," he said.

" It's not a very large house, but I'm sure you'll be happy here."

" If I'm with you, I can't help but be happy," Soushi whispered in reply.

They gazed at each other, the silence between them feeling awkward.

" Well, er, I guess we'd better get your stuff upstairs," Kazuki said at last, heading towards the stairs. " I've cleared some space in my wardrobe for you."

" Thanks, Kazuki."

A short time later, Soushi dumped his box down in front of Kazuki's wardrobe, before collapsing back onto the bed with a heavy sigh.

" Can we finish unpacking later? I'd like to talk to you," Soushi said, patting the space beside him invitingly.

Kazuki smiled nervously, and sat down next to Soushi on the bed.

Soushi sat with his right leg crossed over the other, and his hands clasped on top of them. " Now," he began, fixing Kazuki with an azure stare. " Let's talk."

" Talk?" Kazuki parroted. " This feels strangely familiar. Though last time we were in your room, and now we're in our room. You're still sure about us living together, right?"

" Kazuki, would I have bothered hauling all my stuff over here if I wasn't?" Soushi shook his head in mild amusement. " You can be so paranoid at times. But seriously; how have you been?"

" I've been doing great, I guess. ... No, I'm lying. When you were gone, I felt empty. But now you've returned, so everything is back to normal."

" But, Kazuki, apparently I left for a long time, don't you want to talk about how you've been doing all this time?" Soushi persisted. " I left for ten months, and from what I've heard, you've been going through hell. For me to just turn up again and act as if everything were normal, as if I'd just been gone for a day trip... Aren't you mad at me?"

" Now who's being paranoid? You can't tell me you've seriously been worrying about that?" Kazuki asked in disbelief.

" But I left you for so long..."

" And I promised that I would wait for you forever. You promised me that you'd return. And you did."

The two of them were inching closer to each other, their eyes locked heatedly.

" You could have taken a day, a week, a month, a year, ten years, and I still would have waited for you. Because without you, I don't feel complete."

" I don't know what to say," Soushi whispered, closing his eyes as Kazuki brushed his fingers along his cheek.

" Don't you understand? It doesn't matter if I got partially assimilated, or that I had to wait for you, not knowing for certain if I'd ever see your face again. Because you came back. You're here, and I love you."

They were even closer now, mouths inches apart.

" We defeated the Festum, and the island returned to a paradise. But to me, without you, it was an empty paradise."

" Oh, Kazuki. I missed you so much. I love you."

Once again their mouths met, the heat between them even more so now that everything had been laid bare.

Soushi had just pulled off his uniform jacket and scarf, moaning as Kazuki began to kiss eagerly along his neck and jaw-line, when a bang resonated through the house, making them both jump apart.

" What was that!" Soushi yelped, unusually flustered.

" It was the front door. It must be my father," Kazuki said, his face flushed from their previous activities.

" Well, shouldn't we go down and see him?" Soushi asked, absently straightening his hair.

" Yes, we should." Kazuki's eyes glanced at Soushi discretely. " Er, Soushi, I'd like you to be pleased to see my father, but not THAT pleased."

Soushi glanced downwards and blushed. " Speak for yourself!" He kept glaring at Kazuki for a moment, before an amused smile broke out along his face. " Come on, let go downstairs. We can continue with this later."

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Minutes later, Kazuki headed back downstairs, with a surprisingly timid Soushi trailing behind him.

" Welcome home, dad," Kazuki greeted.

Fumihiko was folding his jacket up over the back of the couch. Turning to face his son, he said, " Good evening, Kazuki-- Oh, Soushi-kun, you're here, too. Can I take it that you've decided to join us here?"

" Yes, that's right," Soushi nodded, bowing politely. " Thank you very much for letting me live here. I hope I won't be a burden to you."

" I'm sure you won't," said Fumihiko. " Have you unpacked your things yet?"

" No, I was going to, but, we, er..." Soushi trailed off, his head still bowed, his face pink. He looked over to Kazuki for assistance.

" Ah, I see. It's not important now," Fumihiko said, deciding not to inquire further. It wasn't really any of his business.

" I'd better get started on dinner then," Kazuki spoke up, taking the focus off of Soushi.

Soushi smiled at him gratefully. " Can I help you with anything?" he asked, following Kazuki into the kitchen.

" Er... no. I can handle it myself," Kazuki stammered, knowing that cooking wasn't exactly Soushi's strong point.

The smile on Soushi's face faded abruptly, quickly replaced by a scowl. " I see," he said icily, stalking back out of the kitchen.

Fumihiko watched in bemusement as Soushi walked by him. " I think you've annoyed him," he murmured to Kazuki.

" I think you're right," sighed Kazuki. " I'll have to apologise to him later on."

A few hours later, dinner was over. Fumihiko stood up from the table and headed for the kitchen, dropping his dirty dishes into the sink.

" Thanks for the meal, Kazuki," he said once he came back. " Now if you'll both excuse me, I have to work on my pottery before I go to bed."

" OK, dad. We'll be going upstairs soon, too," Kazuki said.

Soushi nodded his agreement. " Yes, and I've still got to unpack."

" Alright. But try not to make too much noise, eh?" Fumihiko smirked to himself as the pair of them blushed.

Kazuki and Soushi stood side by side in front of the sink, waiting for the water to reach the right level.

" Since you refused to let me help with dinner, I insist you let me help with the washing up," Soushi said, his voice light, yet with an air of tension to it.

" You're not still mad at me about that, are you?" asked Kazuki.

" Yes. I said I didn't want to be a burden to you."

" I'm sorry I didn't let you help," Kazuki said, staring at the soapy water. " It's just that... You can't cook."

Soushi frowned. " I didn't expect you to be so blunt about it."

" OK, I get the point. Soushi, I really am sorry. I didn't know it bothered you so much. Starting tomorrow I'll teach you how to cook." Kazuki gazed gently at Soushi. " After all, you did once teach me how to fight. I should return the favour."

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There was one little factor about living, and sharing a room with Soushi, that Kazuki had neglected to take into account: the sleeping arrangements.

Now that bed time was upon them, Kazuki didn't know what to do. The mere thought of sharing a bed with Soushi, especially now that they were a couple, sent his blood rushing to his face - among other areas.

Before the confession it would have been an incredibly nerve-racking experience, but now Soushi would probably give his consent if Kazuki tried anything. Did Soushi expect him to try something? Would he be upset if he didn't? Or alarmed if he did?

" Maybe Soushi's just as nervous and confused as me?" Kazuki whispered to his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The mirror Kazuki only stared back at him mutely. " I'd better hurry up. Soushi's waiting for me."

In bed. In our bed, his overactive mind added.

" ... I think I'm officially going crazy. That's the only explanation." Turning on the tap, he started to brush his teeth, his mind wandering. The bed situation wasn't the only thing bothering him.

All through dinner his father had seemed distracted, and Chizuru had been acting weird earlier. She'd seemed in a great hurry to get them out of there. And just what had that phone call really been about?

" I think they're hiding things again," Kazuki said to his reflection. " I wish they wouldn't do that. Look how much trouble it caused last time."

He sighed and left the bathroom, still in a daze. At least he knew Soushi wasn't in on the secrets this time.

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Soushi sat on the bed, covers pulled up to his waist, absently brushing his long, blond hair. He'd always found brushing his hair to be a strangely relaxing thing to do, and was one of the few things he remembered his mother doing for him.

The rhythmic strokes of the brush left him feeling sleepy, or maybe it was just the excitement of the day's events that were responsible for his sudden fatigue. And so he let his eyes fall closed.

" Kazuki will be back in a minute," he said, hands still working on his hair. " I wonder if he'll expect anything from me? I did say earlier that we'd continue from where we'd left off... I'd love to, one day soon. But right now it just feels too soon. I hope he'll understand that."

He put the brush down, sighing quietly, running his fingers through his unbound hair. He didn't usually like leaving it untied. It made him feel exposed and vulnerable - something he never liked feeling. But with Kazuki, it was different. He never made him feel like that.

" He makes me feel wanted..."

Soushi heard the click of the door opening, and he glanced up, smiling as Kazuki entered. " Ah, Kazuki. Are you ready to get some sleep now?"

Kazuki stared at him silently, before giving a slight incline of his head. " Yes, I'm ready." He paused, adding belatedly, " To sleep, that is."

Soushi felt relieved, maybe Kazuki did understand after all. " That's all I want, for now."

" Oh, good. Me too," Kazuki replied, feeling somewhat awkward. " Can I turn off the light?"

" Sure. I don't mind."

Darkness enveloped the room as Kazuki joined Soushi, pulling back the covers and sliding into the bed beside him. He heard Soushi's soft intake of breath as the blond rolled onto his side to face Kazuki.

" This is nice, isn't it?" Soushi asked drowsily.

It was better than nice, to Kazuki. " Yes," he the headed boy answered.

" I'm sorry if you wanted to do more than just sleeping, Kazuki. I just feel that it's too soon," Soushi continued, his hand finding Kazuki's.

Kazuki returned the touch, smiling gently. " It's OK, I agree with you."

They lay quietly for a while, even breathing the only sound to be heard.

" I think they're hiding something from us," Kazuki spoke up suddenly.

" Huh? Who?" Soushi mumbled, his face buried against Kazuki's neck, having almost been asleep.

" My father and Tomi-sensei. They're acting strange."

" Yeah, I'd noticed. But I hope you're not going to lay there all night worrying about it. You need to sleep. And so do I," Soushi said pointedly.

" Hmm, you're right. Sorry. Goodnight, Soushi."

" Goodnight, Kazuki."

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The morning air had a cold chill to it as Kenji made his way to Alvis the next day. The roads and plants were capped by a thin layer of frost, making them glisten in the sunlight.

All signs were pointing to them having an early winter this year, and it was fast approaching, even though it wasn't even October for another few days.

Kenji couldn't help the disappointment he felt. He'd hoped for them to have at least a couple of days out together as a group before the cold weather set in, but it looked like he wasn't going to get his wish.

Though even if the nice weather did hold out for a little longer, Sakura still lay in the Alvis medical centre, immobilised, and Kenji couldn't bare the thought of a group day out without her presence.

Ever since Sakura's awakening, Kenji had felt different. He'd changed, mellowed. He didn't know why, but he felt more mature ; maybe he was just growing up?

And deep inside his heart, the overwhelming urge to protect and care for Sakura. It had always been there, and had only strengthened over the years.

It was so strange to see her, someone who he and Mamoru had always looked up to, ever since they were children, so weak and helpless. She had been almost boyish, always ready to roughhouse with them and lead the way to adventure. Always so strong and in control. But since her assimilation, that had all changed.

He could see it in her eyes sometimes, during all his visits. Sakura hid it well behind her mask of perpetual cheerfulness and her joking manner. But Kenji could tell that deep down she was afraid. Ashamed about what she'd become.

" Please, Sakura," Kenji whispered to the morning sky. " Please get better soon."

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Sakura was sitting up in bed, patiently waiting for Kenji to arrive. But, sadly, patience isn't something that Sakura had all that much of.

" Where is he?" she wondered out-loud. " It's gone 10am. He's usually here by now."

She smiled faintly. She couldn't wait to see how happy he'd be when he found out she could walk again.

" At least, I think I can walk," she corrected herself. " I can move my legs, so I don't see why I shouldn't be able to walk."

A soft knocking on the door caught her attention.

" Kenji? Is that you?" she asked.

" Yes. Can I come in?"

" Of course you can!"

As soon as he stepped inside, Kenji could tell something had changed. It was as though the clouds covering Sakura's face had parted, leaving the radiant smile she aimed at him pure and true.

" What is it? Did something happen?" he asked, hurrying to Sakura's side.

" Kenji, it's wonderful. Look!" Sakura moved to the edge of the bed and hung her legs over the side, swinging them back and forth. " I can move them again!"

Kenji stared at her with unconcealed delight. " How did you get better all of a sudden?"

" That boy, Shin, that core boy - he healed me. Because he's made by the Mir, he has the power to heal any injury caused by assimilation!" Sakura chattered happily. " We should tell Tomi-sensei. He could be a great asset if the Festum ever attack us in the future."

" They already have."

" Huh? What do you mean?"

" Yesterday a hostile Festum attacked the island, near the light house," Kenji explained. " It injured two people before it was destroyed by the newest Fafners."

" Who did it attack?" Sakura asked, voice barely above a whisper.

" Kouyou and Shin."

" Oh my God... Are they OK?"

Kenji looked away. " Well, I heard that Kouyou just had a slight concussion, but Shin got stabbed. Badly. By an assimilation crystal-- Wait. What are you doing?"

Sakura was struggling out of the bed. " I'm going to visit them. They healed me, I should at least go and see them." She attempted to walk a few steps, before slumping weakly back onto the bed. " I think I may need a hand here, Kenji. Please?"

Kenji hesitated, but them nodded. " Alright, I'll help you get there."

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Shin awoke to the sight of Kouyou staring down at him, his expression even and unrevealing.

" Good morning," Kouyou said. " How are you feeling?"

Shin blinked at him sleepily, his mind still in a daze. He remembered being stabbed and then he flickered in and out of consciousness for the rest of the day, and then... Suddenly it came flooding back to him: Kouyou was leaving - entering the Coagula - and he hadn't bothered to tell him.

" I'm... fine," Shin whispered at last, his voice bitter. He turned his face away, unable to look at Kouyou any longer.

The brunette continued to stand over him, staring at him. " You aren't telling me the truth. I can tell."

" Hmp. Like you can talk!" Shin shot back acidly.

" I don't understand."

" It doesn't matter. I don't want to talk about it!"

Kouyou nodded and walked back to his own bed. " As you wish. When you are ready to talk to me, I shall be ready to listen." Shin still refused to look at him. " We haven't finished what we started; visiting those who were touched by the Festum."

" ... But I can't leave my bed for at least a week, right? So how can we visit them together? Unless you intend to do that on your own, as well."

" As well?" Kouyou waited, but Shin didn't respond. " It's no problem, if we can't go to them, then they can come to us. But that is for later; for now, we have visitors."

A second later the door whooshed open and Kenji, along with a panting Sakura, came stumbling inside the little medical room.

" Kouyou, Shin! Are you two alright?" Sakura immediately asked.

" I feel much better now, thank you," Kouyou answered, managing to smile politely. " But Shin has to stay here for awhile to recover from his wound."

" I could have told her that," Shin muttered, a glare on his face. Crossing his arms, he winced in pain as he accidentally tugged on the stitches on scarred stomach.

" Oh, er, good," said Sakura, exchanging bemused glances with Kenji.

" What's put him in such a bad mood?" Kenji whispered down Sakura's ear.

" I don't know," Sakura said quietly in reply.

Kenji and Sakura continued to hover in the doorway. Judging from the expression on Shin's face, he wasn't exactly in the mood for visitors.

" Well, we won't stay long. Sakura just wanted to make sure you were both OK," Kenji said. " Sakura told me you were the ones who healed her, and I just wanted to thank you. You don't know how much this means to us."

The scowl on Shin's face melted a little at Kenji's words.

" Is there anything we can do for you in return?" Sakura asked.

" I was happy to help," Shin assured them. " Your thanks is all the reward I need. Don't you agree?" The last question was directed at Kouyou.

" There is one thing you can do for me," Kouyou said, taking Shin by surprise. " The next time you see Kazuki and Soushi, could you tell them that I need to talk to them here? It's the last task I have to complete before I can move on to my other mission."

" Don't worry, we'll tell them," Sakura agreed, noticing that Shin's face fell significantly at Kouyou's words. " We'll give them a call at home later on."

" Good. I'd like to speak with them as soon as possible," said Kouyou.

" Well, we'll be going then. Sorry we couldn't stay for very long, but, you know, first time walking and all that. I guess I don't have as much strength as I thought," Sakura said, chuckling softly. " Come on, Kenji, let's go."

They bid their goodbyes, closing the door behind them.

" That was kind of strange, wasn't it? What do you think happened to make Shin so upset?" Kenji asked as they wandered back to Sakura's room.

Sakura was rather engrossed in the task of trying to stay upright. Even with Kenji's help, it was a bit of a struggle. " I'm not sure, but I'd bet good money it has something to do with Kouyou. Shin really seems to like him."

" Wait. Surely you don't mean in _that_ way?"

" I sure do. Though I don't know if Shin realises it himself yet. He could have picked someone else, Kouyou isn't exactly the most responsive person right now," Sakura continued.

Kenji snorted mirthfully. " You can say that again. Does he even have any proper emotions anymore?"

" He doesn't act like he has any. Either way, I can't help but feel that poor little Shin is going to end up heart broken..."

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Kazuki had never felt more comfortable in his life. He was surrounded by a deep sense of warmth and contentment, so much so that he didn't want to open his eyes, even though the sunlight streaming onto his face indicated that it was much later than when he usually stayed in bed.

It was then that he realised his left arm had gone completely numb.

" Huh?" he mumbled, forcing his eyes open.

Kazuki gave a startled gasp at the sight of Soushi, still asleep and with a peaceful look on his face, with his head resting against his shoulder and an arm flung across his chest.

Kazuki smiled and pulled Soushi closer; he couldn't think of a better way to wake up.

" I wonder what the time is?" Kazuki said, feebly trying to crane his neck up so that he could get a good look at the clock, but at the same time reluctant to move too much for fear that he'd accidentally wake Soushi.

Soushi snuggled closer, mumbling Kazuki's name in his sleep.

Kazuki felt a surge of triumph running through his body. " He's dreaming about me," he said gleefully.

" ... Ugh. Kazuki?"

Apparently he hadn't been quiet enough, as Soushi's stormy blue eyes fluttered open and gazed at him blearily.

" Soushi, did I wake you? I'm sorry."

" No, it's alright," Soushi said, sitting up and yawning. He glanced over at the clock, his eyes widening. " It's almost 11am. We slept in late."

" It doesn't matter, it's the weekend." Kazuki paused. " ... isn't it?"

" I think so, but I'm not really certain. My mind's a bit of a jumble when I first wake up."

Soushi stretched and got out of bed, automatically reaching for the hairbrush on the bedside table. Kazuki smiled again and followed Soushi into the bathroom, watching silently as the blond began to brush his tangled hair.

" What is it? What are you looking at?" Soushi asked when he noticed Kazuki staring at him.

" You," Kazuki said fondly. " Waking up next to you, seeing you with your hair all tousled and watching you put it back into place. It just feels nice and familiar. Sort of homely, like you... belong here. I like it."

Soushi grinned and continued his brushing. " Thank you, Kazuki. It's nice to know that you feel I belong here. I... I feel the same way."

" Then I hope to awake to many more mornings like this one," Kazuki said, leaning over and kissing Soushi on the cheek.

They went downstairs a short while later, only to find that the rest of the house was empty.

" I guess dad went out somewhere," Kazuki said with a shrug, heading into the kitchen.

" Oh, look, Kazuki. It's a note. Your father must have left it," Soushi said, picking up the sheet of paper from the dining table.

" What does it say?"

" It says; Sakura phoned earlier while you were still lazing in bed-- Lazing? I don't laze!"

" Er, Soushi, don't get off-track," Kazuki cut in. " Oh, what do you want with your breakfast? Tea? Orange juice?"

" Tea will be fine, thank you," answered Soushi. " Anyway... Ah, yes, Sakura called to say that Kouyou wants to talk to the pair of you as long as possible, so could you please visit him in the Alvis medical centre?"

" What on Earth is Kouyou doing in the medical centre?" Kazuki asked, setting the food down on the table. " Hey, you don't think he was the one who got injured before, do you?"

" He could have been," Soushi nodded, taking a sip of his tea. " Let's visit him later on, then maybe we'll get some answers."

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That afternoon, Kazuki and Soushi headed of to Alvis. After finding out what room Kouyou was in from Kenji and Sakura, they soon stood outside his door.

" Hello, Kouyou. You wanted to talk to us?" Soushi said as the door glided open. He stopped as he caught sight of Shin. " Oh, hello. I'm sorry, I didn't realise anybody else was in here. Who are you?"

" I am called Shin," the dark headed boy answered. " And you're right, we did want to see you."

" Right, I remember now," Soushi said, shooting a glance at Kazuki. " Kazuki told me that you were the island's new core."

" This is the first time I've seen you outside the Coagula tube though," Kazuki said. " So, Kouyou, what did you want to speak to us about?"

" We wanted to talk to everyone who has been effected by the Festum," Kouyou said. " We already spoke to Sakura, now you two are the only ones left."

" Your eyes, they were assimilated by the Festum, weren't they?" Shin asked suddenly, staring intently at Kazuki. " Once you were blind, but now you can see. Just not as well as before, your sight has become distorted."

" That's right. The assimilation destroyed my vision, and I was in a coma for awhile. When I woke up I could see again, but my eyes were like this," Kazuki said, pointing to his ruby-red eyes. " It's strange to look into the mirror and see these things gazing back at you. Don't you feel the same way, Kouyou? I mean, your eyes are red now, too."

Shin looked over at Kouyou, surprised. " Really? What colour did they use to be?"

" A blend of green and brown. But this colour doesn't bother me now," Kouyou answered, and Shin couldn't help but wish he'd seen Kouyou with his natural eye colour.

" Well, it bothers me. I don't like having red eyes; they just look... odd," Kazuki grumbled, looking hopefully at Soushi. " You agree with me, don't you?"

" I didn't mind them when you were piloting Fafner," Soushi replied hesitantly. " But seeing you with them now just makes me worry that there's something horribly wrong with you. I don't like that feeling."

" I can heal them for you."

" What?" Kazuki and Soushi asked in unison.

" Shin has healing powers. He can heal all injuries caused by Festum assimilation," Kouyou explained, a hint of pride to his usual monotone voice.

Shin smiled at the brunette, momentarily forgetting about his anger towards him. " That's right. I even managed to heal my own injury; or at least, I removed the assimilation crystal from the wound. In Sakura's case it was--"

" Hang on a second," Kazuki cut in, holding up his hand to stop the younger boy. " Are you saying that your injuries were caused by a Festum? And this happened quite recently?"

Shin blinked owlishly at him. " Yes, it was. It happened a couple of days ago, I think. I can't remember all that clearly."

Kazuki didn't seem to be listening. " They lied to us, Soushi," he whispered. " They knew about this and they didn't say a thing."

" Kazuki, you can't lie about something if you don't say anything at all," Soushi said, hoping to calm him before he got too worked up.

" It's as good as lying! My father and Tomi-sensei both knew that this island had been attacked by the Festum again, and they didn't say a word to us! Why not?"

" I don't know, Kazuki."

" Well, I'm going to find out." With that Kazuki was out of the room and stalking off down the corridor.

" Kazuki, wait!" Soushi called after him, looking apologetically at Kouyou and Shin. " I'm sorry, we'll have to continue this some other time."

They watched silently as Soushi hurried off after Kazuki.

" I don't think you should have told them that," Kouyou finally said.

" No, I shouldn't . But the adults shouldn't be keeping secrets. Nobody should," Shin said, laying back in bed and closing his eyes. He placed his hand on his injured stomach, feeling a sudden ripple of warmth coursing through his body, filling him with a sense of light-headedness.

" _Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?_" he heard a voice whisper inside his head.

' _Yes, I'm here. I can hear you. I'm going to make sure he stays here, too_.'

And high up in the sky, the Festum were gathering...

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Oooh, ominous! Well, see you in chapter six.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Soukyuu no Fafner, or its characters. They belong to the awesome Xebec, who should hurry up and make a sequel!

Author's note: I'm sorry it's taken so long to update, but I've been ill on and off since I got back from my holiday in September. And then my PC got a virus, so I had to buy a new one; it all kind of killed my writing spirit.

But I'm back now and I bring a new chapter! I just don't know how long it'll take me to write chapter seven… it might be a while.

In this chapter Kazuki's eyes get fixed, but not in the way I first planned. And there's also an appearance from another character from the TV series; see if you can spot them.

And so with that all said and done… enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER SIX: DESTROY - RESTORE

"Kazuki, please calm down!"

Kazuki ignored Soushi, glaring angrily as he continued to march towards CDC, only slowing his pace a fraction so that Soushi could keep up with him.

Soushi reached forward and grabbed hold of Kazuki's arm, bringing him to a halt. "Look, Kazuki, I know you're upset, but you can't just barge in there, guns blazing and start demanding answers."

"Why not? That sounds like a perfectly good plan to me."

"Kazu--"

"No, I mean it," Kazuki cut in. "Why aren't you more upset yourself? They lied to you, too. As soon as they found out they should have told us that the Festum had returned. But they deliberately kept us out of the loop. And I for one would like to know why."

"So would I. But please, Kazuki, please wait until later on. When your father gets home and when you've calmed down a little," Soushi begged him.

Kazuki regarded him, before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Soushi, but I have to find out now."

Soushi hung back, watching dejectedly. He had a feeling that no good would come out of this.

* * *

"Dad!" Kazuki called as the door to CDC slid open. 

Fumihiko looked up from his monitor. "Oh, Kazuki. Did you and Soushi-kun manage to talk with Kouyou-kun yet?"

"Yes, but we got a little distracted, I'm afraid to say," Kazuki began, his voice tight and restrained. "His new friend, Shin, told us some rather interesting details about his injury."

Fumihiko froze, dreading what Kazuki would say next. "And?"

"He told us that he was attacked by a Festum. That a Festum had arrived on the island and injured him," Kazuki answered hotly. "And I want to know why you didn't tell either of us about it. Apparently this happened a couple of days ago, so you've had ample time to tell us!"

"Kazuki, I kept it a secret because after everything you two have been through, I thought you deserved a break," Fumihiko said as evenly as he could. "You didn't have to be involved."

Kazuki gazed at him sombrely. "But we are involved. We've been involved since the day we were born; all of us have. You kept it a secret once before, but I never thought you'd be so heartless to do it a second time."

"I... I didn't realise it would upset you this much."

"Well... you thought wrong."

* * *

The next few days passed relatively peacefully. No more Festum came to the island, and life returned to normal. But in the Makabe household, it was different. Kazuki refused to forgive his father, spending meal times shooting him icy looks across the dinner table, while Soushi watched silently. 

But then, a few days later, Soushi spoke up. They were getting ready for bed, the silence hanging over them in a smothering cloud.

"That's it," Soushi suddenly said, slamming his hair brush down onto the bedside table, making Kazuki jump. "I've had enough!"

"What?"

"You! What is wrong with you?" Soushi demanded. "Why have you been acting so... so... different lately? And why won't you forgive your father? And why the hell did it upset you this much in the first place? So what if he kept it a secret? Why does it matter to you so much?"

"Because I'm... afraid," Kazuki answered, voice barely above a whisper.

This took Soushi completely by surprise. "Afraid? What are you afraid of? Having to fight the Festum again?"

"No. It's just that the last time the Festum came here, what they took was..." Kazuki trailed off.

"Was...?" Soushi prompted.

"...You."

"Oh," Soushi said, finally understanding. "And now you're afraid that they've come to take me back again?" Kazuki only nodded. "But that's silly. Why would they return me if they just planned to kidnap me again?"

"Tomi-sensei told me that the Festum are divided because of the destruction of the north-pole Mir. She said some were in mourning over the loss of the Mir, and that some had just gone insane, attacking anything they see," Kazuki said shakily. "And if anymore Festum do come here, I'd like to know well in advance, so that I can be prepared. Just in case they... in case they--"

"Kazuki, I told you before that I'd never leave you alone again," Soushi whispered down his ear, pulling the trembling Kazuki securely into his arms. "So, please, don't worry about it anymore."

"I'll try."

"Good. And, Kazuki, please apologise to your father tomorrow."

"I will. I promise."

* * *

"Chizuru, I need to have a word with you." 

"Oh, what about, commander Makabe?" Chizuru asked, leading Fumihiko into the medical room, where Shin lay resting peacefully. Or at least, that's what they thought. The dark-haired boy was only pretending to be asleep, his eyes tightly shut as he listen with interest to their conversation.

"Kouyou-kun wants to call a meeting of the staff tomorrow morning," Fumihiko said, taking a seat beside Chizuru. "He said he has some information on the Festum that attack himself and Shin that he needs to tell us."

"Alright, I'll be there," agreed Chizuru.

"Considering his outburst before in CDC, I should probably let Kazuki be there. Soushi-kun, too," Fumihiko said with a sigh. "Kazuki has been ignoring me since that incident."

"I'm sure he'll come around in time," Chizuru said, touching his hand comfortingly.

"Maybe..." Fumihiko said, staring absently into space. "I suppose this will be the last thing Kouyou-kun does for us before he enters the Coagula."

Shin's ears perked up at this.

"Really? They've finished the modifications already?"

"Yes. Well, they did say it would only take them around a week. So tomorrow Kouyou-kun can tell us what he needs to, and then enter the tank as soon as he's finished."

Something inside Shin's mind began whispering to him.

"_He is leaving soon. You don't have much time left. To stop him leaving, you must be there tomorrow. While the others are occupied_."

'_And then what?_'

"_You help us. We help you. You will know when it is the right time._"

* * *

The next morning at 9am sharp, a crowd had gathered in the meeting room of Alvis. As well as Fumihiko and Chizuru, the pilots, including Doma and Seri, were there as well. 

"You didn't bring Shin with you?" Fumihiko murmured to Chizuru as the others settled into their seats.

"No. He was sleeping so peacefully that I didn't have the heart to wake him," Chizuru replied. " I'm sure he won't mind. I can tell him what happened in the meeting later on."

"You should. People don't appreciate having things kept from them, no matter how trivial they may seem at the time," said Fumihiko, glancing over at Kazuki as he spoke, who smiled back at him faintly.

The two of them had sorted out their differences before they'd left for Alvis that morning. Kazuki had apologised for being so distant and Fumihiko for not telling him about the Festum in the first place.

Fumihiko cleared his throat, and all eyes turned to him. " Now that everybody is here, let's get down to business. Kouyou-kun?"

"As most of you know, a Festum recently arrived on this island," Kouyou began. " It was hostile, but it was shortly destroyed by the island's Fafners. Before it was destroyed it attacked me and Shin, attacking me with feelers and attempting to assimilate Shin."

Kouyou paused, watching as the others stared at him expectantly. This was all old news to them.

"After coming into contact with it, I realised this Festum felt different... not like myself - the Festum part of me, I mean, which originated from the north-pole Mir, or Shin, who originated from this island's Mir. So that leads me to believe that a third Mir may have appeared somewhere."

This announcement caused a murmur of distress to pass amongst those who were gathered.

"What?! Why?!" Kazuki was the first to demand.

"I don't know yet," Kouyou answered. "I still don't know why the Tatsumiya Mir is here. The Mir and the Festum are meant to be one. And the new Festum are probably coming here because the other Mir no longer exists. That would explain why they attacked Shin: someone made entirely by our Mir must be fascinating to those Festum."

'_The north-pole Festum, they gave Soushi back his body. Does that mean these new Festum will find him 'fascinating' too?_' Kazuki couldn't help but think. He decided against voicing his concerns, since Soushi seemed rather annoyed by his constant fretting.

"Do you have any idea when more of these 'different' Festum will get here?" Fumihiko asked Kouyou.

"Well, um..." Maya spoke up, before Kouyou could reply. "Before we came here, my sister phoned me up from CDC. She said she'd tried to phone you, but you weren't answering. Apparently the monitors picked up a group of five Festum hovering above the island earlier this morning."

"Have they moved any closer since then?"

"No. Apparently they've remained stationary since the monitor first noticed them."

"They're not moving? What could they be waiting for?" wondered Soushi.

A tingle ran down Kouyou's spine, and he glanced over to the office door, frowning. "Shin..." he whispered to himself.

* * *

The halls were empty as Shin limped slowly along. 

"I'm still not fully recovered yet," he grunted, clutching at the slick metal wall.

"_We know. But this is your last chance."_

Shin nodded, gritting his teeth in effort, one hand against the wall, one pressed to his injured stomach. He stifled the urge to gasp as he staggered down the stairs to the core room; each step sending a sharp jolt of pain to his wound.

"I'm almost there..." he groaned as the doors opened up before him.

He walked along the platform to the coagula; the bright red lights in the floor reflecting against the glass tube.

"Now what do I do?" he asked.

"_Destroy. Destroy all of it"_'

A tingling feeling ran through his hands and eyes. And then in a flash, a gleaming green assimilation crystal burst out of his palm.

Moving forward, Shin raised his hand and prepared to strike.

_"No! Please stop!"_

Shin froze as the new voices sounded loudly in his head.

"Who are--?"

_"Please don't do it! You have to stop!"_

_"No! You must do it! It's the only way to stop him from leaving."_

_"Shin. You mustn't do it. No good will come of it."_

"I--" Shin felt torn; his arm twitched, aching to lean forward and destroy the core tube. But the rest of him was desperately trying to move away, almost as though someone was trying to tug him away from the tube.

_"Stay out of this!"_ hissed the first voice, drowning out the other female voice. _"Do it, right now!"_

Closing his eyes, Shin surged forward, smashing the assimilation crystal through the tube. The glass shattered under the blow, showering the boy with sharp shards of glass. He brought his hand down again, slamming the crystal over and over into the rest of the core mechanism, watching as smoke soon rose from the battered equipment.

Shin looked around in a panic, his eyes going wide as the reality of what he'd just done set in. He turned and bolted from the room, as best as he could; praying that no-one would know that he was responsible for the damage.

* * *

"The meeting is now concluded; thank you for your time, everyone." 

With that, Fumihiko headed for the door, with Kouyou following close behind him.

"Should I go enter the core tube now, commander Makabe?" the brunette asked.

"If you're ready." Fumihiko took in the half-Festum's passive expression. "Although I suppose you wouldn't have suggested it if you weren't."

Kouyou smiled and nodded silently.

"In that case, I shall accompany you," said Fumihiko.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fumihiko noticed that Kazuki and Soushi were whispering to each other. Soushi was saying something rather insistently, while Kazuki listened uncomfortably. Finally, with an encouraging shove from Soushi, Kazuki came walking over to his father and Kouyou.

Kazuki cleared his throat loudly, before saying, "Um, Kouyou?" The brunette looked at him expectantly. "I wanted to apologise for my behaviour before. I shouldn't have just stormed out like that. I know you and Shin wanted to talk to us about something, and--"

"And now it's too late," Kouyou finished for him.

"What do you mean by that?" Kazuki asked.

"We should be going now," Kouyou said to Fumihiko, ignoring Kazuki's puzzled expression. "Perhaps you and Soushi should pay Shin another visit?"

"We will," said Soushi, placing his hand on Kazuki's arm. "Right, Kazuki?"

Fumihiko smiled to himself as Kazuki returned Soushi's gentle look, and the two of them walked off arm in arm.

Kouyou and Fumihiko made their own way to the core room. Fumihiko could tell something was wrong when he saw that the doors to the room were wide open.

"What happened to them?" he wondered out loud, hurrying down the stairs.

Fumihiko froze when he finally saw the room; the floor was covered in glass, and the machinery around the shattered core tube was broken and smoking faintly.

"Who did this?" he whispered, eyes narrowing.

"I think I may have an idea," Kouyou said, turning on his heel and heading back up the stairs. "You should hurry back to CDC, commander. You'll be needed there. They're probably almost here."

"Who are almost here?"

"The Festum," answered Kouyou, just as the sirens went off behind him.

* * *

"What's the situation?" Fumihiko demanded as he dashed through the doors of CDC. 

He had met up with Kazuki and Soushi along the way; the two of them had come running back from the medical bay as soon as they'd heard the alarm. They'd just have to talk to Shin some other time.

"Most of our instruments seem to be down, but the monitor is working," Yumiko reported. "Five Festum are approaching the island. Type: unknown."

"Activate Vaffe Larden."

"It's not responding, sir."

"Well, then prepare the Fafners for launch," Fumihiko said, his frustration clear. "The launch bays are still working, aren't they?"

"Yes, sir," Yumiko nodded. "But what exactly happened?"

"... Someone sabotaged the Coagula."

"But who would do such a thing?" Kazuki wondered.

"If they wanted to leave the island vulnerable to attack, then taking out the core would be the obvious method," Soushi said, logical as usual. "It controls all the running of the island, so destroying it would leave us defenceless."

"But the Fafners are still useable; meaning we can still fight," Kazuki pointed out, a sparkle of determination coming into his eyes. He turned expectantly to his father. "Can't we?"

Fumihiko almost wished that he could deny his son's request; the urge to protect him and Soushi stronger than ever now that the enemy was here. But he knew in his heart that he couldn't shield them forever. "That's right. Take Maya, Kenji and Canon with you. Seri and Doma can stay here in reserve."

"What about me?" enquired Soushi, not wanting to be the only one who wasn't helping.

"You can pilot the Siegfried System again, if you like."

Soushi blinked in surprise. "You fixed the system?"

Fumihiko nodded. "Yes; while you were... away. I know it's a bit of a burden, and if you don't really want to then--"

"Don't worry. I'll do it," Soushi assured him with a smile, and then with a second thought, added to Kazuki, "And you had better come back in one piece. All of you."

Kazuki chuckled softly at his over-protectiveness. "I will. Let's go; we've got work to do."

* * *

It was strange to Soushi, to be back in the Siegfried System again, to feel everyone's thoughts again. 

A slither of nervousness began to coil in his stomach; the last time he'd been in here, he'd been kidnapped by the Festum and encased in the assimilation crystals, Kazuki's desperate, horrified screams ringing in his ears.

Soushi prayed that such things would never again happen. He'd promised Kazuki that he would never leave him along again, and he didn't intend to.

"All Fafners take off!" he said, swallowing his lingering fear.

The sky became visible, and the golden Festum could be seen in the distance. They looked almost like spynx types, but they were not quite the same; their hands were more claw-like, and their faces more reptilian.

"Everyone, be careful. We don't know what kind of Festum these are, or what they're capable of," Soushi warned the pilots.

"Understood," their voices replied as one. "We'll stay alert."

As the Festum got closer, they let loose their usual question.

"_Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?_"

"Everyone, break and attack! Try to draw them away from the island," Soushi ordered.

"But, Soushi, there's five of them and only four of us," Canon said.

"I know. I want to see what target it goes after," replied Soushi.

The Fafner group all veered off in different directions, waiting to see the Festums' next move. They were taken-aback when all five Festum started to fly after Mark Sein.

"Kazuki!" Soushi cried out. "Watch out; they seem to all be after you. They're completely ignoring the other Fafner."

"OK, I'm on it." With that, Kazuki spun Mark Sein around, firing at the nearest Festum, aiming for its head.

The blasts were quite deadly, blowing the head off the Festum in seconds, but it didn't seem to stop it from advancing.

"Minashiro-kun, it doesn't seem to care," Maya gasped from inside Mark Seiben.

"They're not paying us three any attention," Kenji grumbled indignantly.

"Then let's get their attention," suggested Soushi. "All Fafner, fire at will."

Shot after shot were fired at the enemy, but still they paid no attention to the others, concentrating on their pursuit of Kazuki.

Kazuki flew as fast as he could, gasping in surprise when Mark Sein abruptly jolted to a stop.

"Soushi, what's going on?" Kazuki demanded, watching apprehensively as the Festum continued to clutch at his Fafner's arm with its sharp, clawed fingers.

"_Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?_"

A moment later Kazuki's monitor went blank, leaving him surrounded by darkness.

"Damn it! Now I can't even see!" Kazuki cursed. "Soushi! Can you hear me? What's happening out there?"

Kazuki breathed a sigh of relief when the red hologramatic form of Soushi appeared beside him, a worried look on his usually calm face.

"Kazuki, are you alright?" Soushi asked, drawing his face closer, and gazing into Kazuki's eyes.

"I'm fine, I think," Kazuki replied, looking ahead into pitch-black distance. "But none of my instruments are working; I can't move, fire, or even communicate with the others. But how did you manage to get in here, Soushi?"

"I'm-- I'm not entirely sure. But it is better this way, isn't it? Rather than being alone, you're alone with me."

Something about the tone of Soushi's voice made Kazuki glance over at him sharply; Soushi's face already red from the system was lightly flushed, and his eyes had the strangest look in them.

"We should make the most of it, shouldn't we?" Soushi said, his voice dropping down to a whisper, his breath ticking the outside of Kazuki's ear as he leaned in even closer.

Kazuki swallowed hard. "What should we make the most of?"

"Being together." Kazuki felt a shudder run down his spine as Soushi began to lick teasingly at his ear.

"S-soushi! Wha- What are you--"

He was cut off again as Soushi's mouth covered his hungrily. Kazuki groaned as Soushi climbed onto his lap, still kissing him.

"What's the matter Kazuki?" Soushi asked breathlessly when he finally pulled away. "Didn't you like it?"

"Of course I liked it, but we can't do that now," Kazuki panted harshly, feeling Soushi's hands begin to wander down his chest. "What's gotten in to you?"

"I'm not really sure; but I know what I'd like to have in me."

Kazuki gaped at him in shock, blushing furiously. "Soushi, don't say things like that! Besides, what are we going to do about the Festum?"

"The others can take care of them."

"But, but--"

"Hush, Kazuki. Close your eyes for a second, will you?"

"Huh? Why?" Kazuki asked, clearly baffled. When Soushi just continued to smile at him dreamily, he shrugged and complied with his wishes, letting his eyelid drift shut.

Kazuki jumped as he felt Soushi begin to lick lightly at the skin around his closed eyes.

"Er, Soushi, what are you doing?" Kazuki asked him in a hushed voice, his face twitching almost violently as he struggled to keep his eyes shut.

Soushi ignored him, continuing with the task at hand, a soft sigh escaping his throat.

An odd tingling sensation ran through the lines of Kazuki's face, and his eyes snapped open.

"Kazuki! Hey, Kazuki! Answer me!" he heard Soushi's voice calling.

Kazuki blinked, glancing around in confusion. "What the--? What's going on?" he asked.

Everything looked as it had before his monitor had gone blank; with no sign of the holographic Soushi anywhere.

"Kazuki, thank goodness you're answering," Soushi said, voice full of relief. "You've just been sitting there blankly for the last ten minutes or so, not moving an inch."

"Have I?"

"Yes. That Festum must have done something to you. But it's OK, it's gone now," Soushi told him.

"Where did it go?" asked Kazuki, his head still feeling a little fuzzy.

"It and the other four of them left," Maya said. "It's strange; they didn't seem to care how many times we fired at them. And they didn't seem to do any damage; that one Festum just held on to you for a few minutes, let go, and then they all flew away."

"But I have a suspicious feeling that won't be the last we'll see of them," Soushi said ominously. "What was happening in there anyway, Kazuki? Was the Festum talking to you?"

Kazuki felt himself blushing. "I guess you could say that. But can't I just tell you what happened when we get home?"

"I suppose that's fine. OK, all Fafner, return to base!"

* * *

_'I wonder if those Festum did anything to me?_' Kazuki found himself thinking a short while later, as he sat back in his Fafner's cockpit, waiting to be released. _'I don't feel any different, so I can't have been assimilated._' 

As the doors of the cockpit unfolded, Kazuki was greeted by the sight of Soushi, who was sitting on one of the nearby benches.

"Oh, Soushi, were you waiting for me?" Kazuki asked, smiling up at him.

The blond looked up at the sound of his voice, and returned his smile brightly. "Yes. I wanted to--" Soushi paused, a pleasantly surprised look covering his face.

Kazuki blinked at Soushi unusual reaction. "What is it, Soushi?"

"Kazuki, your eyes… they're brown again."

"Huh? They are?" Kazuki almost yelped in surprise. "But how did that happen?"

"It must have been the Festums' doing," said Soushi, holding out his hand, he helped Kazuki heave himself out of the cockpit.

Once he was back on solid ground, Kazuki reached up and felt about his face. "I've got to see this."

"Well, look in the mirror when we get home," Soushi said as they and the other pilots left the launch bay. "And you can fill me in on what happened out there, too."

"I suppose I should tell my father while I'm at it."

"I'd leave that for another time if I were you," Soushi suggested. "I think he's a bit preoccupied right now; the others are still trying to figure out who sabotaged the core."

* * *

Midday had come and gone, and the skies had darkened, matching the mood inside Alvis. 

"Shin," Kouyou called in to the silent medical room, the bright artificial lights flickering on and off.

It was eerily quiet, save for the howling of the wind and rain outside, signalling the brewing storm.

"Shin, I know you're in here," said Kouyou. Letting the door close, he trudged through the murky room, glancing at the empty beds. "Why did you destroy the coagula?"

A sharp intake of breath told him exactly where Shin was.

Kouyou dropped down on to all fours, peering under the smaller bed; Shin's confused, tear-filled green eyes gazed back at him.

"Why did you destroy the coagula?" Kouyou repeated.

Shin's eyes narrowed a flicker of gold racing through the green. "Why didn't you tell me that you were planning on leaving?"

"Leaving? What do you mean?" Kouyou seemed genuinely puzzled.

Shin struggled to crawl out from under his bed, swatting away Kouyou's attempts to assist him.

When he was on his feet again, he fixed Kouyou with a fiery stare. "Don't pretend you don't know; you're planning on becoming the core of this island, aren't you?"

"That's correct."

"Well, then that means you're leaving me!"

"You're wrong. By becoming the core, I'll become one with this island; I'll be a part of everyone," Kouyou said softly.

"But you won't be with me," Shin whispered, biting his trembling bottom lip. "I don't want you to go. I need you. I-- feel strange when you're near me; happy and frightened and excited all at once. And I don't understand what it means."

Kouyou regarded him with trepidation. He knelt down so that Shin didn't have to look up to him anymore. "You care for me?" he asked, choosing his words with great care.

The dark flush that covered Shin's face answered for him as he nodded his head. "What is it that the humans call it? Love?"

"Yes, it's called love."

"I love you a lot, Kouyou-sama. That's why I had to stop you from leaving me," Shin said boldly, fighting his embarrassment. "And they said that destroying the core was the only way to prevent you from going away."

"Who are they?" Kouyou asked, fairly certain that he already knew.

"The Festum. I can hear them talking to me in my mind. It... It frightens me."

"You've been assimilated."

Shin's breath caught in his throat, and he nodded, feeling strangely ashamed. "Yes... I have been."

"But not very badly. Just enough so that they can communicate with you," Kouyou said. "These Festum are different; new. And as they're new, it means a new Mir may have appeared; A Mir that seems interested in the creations of the other Mir's."

"Yes," Shin agreed sombrely. He waited, before asking, "Are you going to tell them that I am the one responsible for damaging the core?"

"I have to," Kouyou answered apologetically. "It is my duty."

Shin's eyes widened in horror. He couldn't believe it; his beloved Kouyou would just turn him in like that. And he didn't seem to love him back in return...

"But, but... I love you!" Shin cried desperately, trying to get some kind of positive reaction out of him.

Kouyou just shook his head sadly. "But I don't love you; I can't love you. If I was more like you, embracing my more human qualities, then I probably could. You see, we are both Core types, but you are one that is too human, and I am one that is too Festum; that is where the problem lies."

* * *

The rain was still falling as Kazuki and Soushi hastily made their way home. 

Kazuki felt tired out from the day's events, and couldn't wait to get inside, change into some dry clothes, and just collapse onto the sofa. He was also eager to look in a mirror, to see if what Soushi had said about his eyes was true.

_'It's strange; if my eyes have returned to normal, then it's almost like they sucked the assimilation effects out of me. But why would they do that?_' Kazuki though as he fumbled to open the front door, while Soushi stood there patiently, shivering in the cold.

"OK, it's open," Kazuki announced.

"Thank goodness, I'm freezing," Soushi said in relief.

They hurried inside, coats quickly deposited on the coat rack, and then Kazuki made his way to the bathroom.

Soushi closed his eyes and sighed happily, breathing in the warm air. "Ah, that's much better," he said, sinking down onto the sofa, his face flushed at the sudden change in temperature. He opened his eyes again and glanced up stairs. "So, Kazuki," he called. "Did you look yet?"

"Yes, I did. And you were right, they are back to normal," Kazuki said, coming back down the stairs. "But how did that Festum do it?"

Soushi watched silently as Kazuki sat down next to him, his now rich brown eyes filled with confusion.

"Kazuki," the blond began."What happened while you were out of contact earlier? What did you see? You said that you'd tell me when we got home."

Kazuki blushed. "Oh, well, um... first the monitor went dead and I was left in darkness, unable to contact the others. And then you - or at the time, I thought it was you - appeared and tried to... distract me."

"Distract you?" Soushi repeated, raising an eyebrow at the bright-red flush that covered Kazuki's face.

"Well, you... the Festum, that is, sort of, um... seduced me."

This time it was Soushi's turn to blush. "Oh, I see," he stammered. "... Did you enjoy it?"

"Enjoy what? ... Oh! No, Soushi, it isn't what you think. The Festum didn't do anything like that to me, it only kissed me," Kazuki hurriedly explained. 'Not that I haven't thought about doing more with you...' "But to answer you question; yes, I did enjoy it."

Soushi couldn't help but continue to feel uncomfortable. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, so what exactly happened? What did it say to you?"

"First of all I felt Mark Sein come to a stop, and then the monitor went blank," Kazuki began, the blush gradually fading. "And then a red hologram version of you appeared, and asked me if I was OK. I asked how you'd managed to get inside the Fafner, when I couldn't talk to the others, and you said you didn't know. And then you said that we should make the most of our time alone together, and you started, er, licking my ear..."

Kazuki trailed off as he noticed the frown on Soushi's face; he couldn't help but wonder if he should feel flattered that Soushi was jealous of a Festum.

"Anyway; you then climbed in to my lap and said some other things to me. And then you told me to close my eyes. I did so, and then you began licking at my eyelids," Kazuki continued. "And at that moment I felt a strange sort of heat, I suppose, running through my face, and when I opened my eyes again, the Festum was gone, and you were calling me."

"That's when your eyes got fixed," Soushi murmured. "That hot feeling must have been the Festum draining the assimilation effect out of your body."

"But for what purpose?" asked Kazuki. "I don't understand."

"Kouyou told us earlier that a third Mir may have appeared, and that these new Festum are emanating from that Mir," Soushi said. "If that's true then this third Mir, just like our and the north-pole's Mir, is probably trying to understand life too. And it's doing that by sending out Festum to seek out the creations of the other Mir's."

"Shin was made by our Mir, and those new Festum tried to assimilate him. And my eyes were assimilated by the north-pole Festum, and the new Festum attacked me," Kazuki whispered. He hated to admit it, but Soushi was probably right.

"And let's not forget Sakura; if Shin hadn't healed her, the new Festum would probably be after her as well." Soushi sighed closed his eyes. "And that means your fears are probably justified, Kazuki."

"Huh?" Kazuki's head jerked up, staring at Soushi with worried eyes. "Y-you don't mean--"

"Yes, Kazuki; since my new body was created by the north-pole Festum, the new Festum will be searching for me, too."

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I still don't own Soukyuu no Fafner. They belong to Xebec, who still need to hurry up and make a sequel.

Author's note: Wow, it's been over a year since I last updated. I'm sorry for the uber long wait. I did start writing this in 2007, but then in August 2007 my mother died and I just became rather depressed and didn't feel like writing anything. I still do feel depressed, but I managed to think of what should happen next in the story, and I started writing again.

I hope you all enjoy the new chapter.

PART SEVEN: ILLUSION – INVASION

They were the words that Kazuki had been dreading to hear.

"The new Festum will be after you, too," he said, his body shaking slightly.

"They probably will be, yes; judging by their recent behaviour." Soushi saw the frightened look in Kazuki's eyes, and moved closer, resting his head against his shoulder. "Kazuki, it's OK. Just because they'll try to capture me, doesn't mean they'll succeed," Soushi tried to reassure him.

"Yeah," Kazuki nodded, but the trouble look remained. He took Soushi's hand in his own and closed his eyes.

It wasn't fair. Just when he'd thought everything was going to be alright; what with Soushi returning as he'd promised to, and the two of them confessing their love for each other and moving in together - something like this had to happen.

_'Why did these new Festum have to appear?_' Kazuki thought bitterly.

He didn't want to return to the state he'd been in a few months ago; depressed, lonely, longing for Soushi to come back to him.

"I won't let them take you away again," Kazuki whispered determinedly into Soushi's hair. "I promise you that."

Soushi looked up at him anxiously. "Kazuki, you--"

"I won't let them do it." Having said that, Kazuki pried himself away from Soushi's embrace, and got to his feet. "I guess I'd better get started on dinner."

Soushi watched sadly as Kazuki wandered into the kitchen. He had a feeling that it was going to be a long night, and that this wouldn't be the last he heard about the Festum.

* * *

Fumihiko sighed to himself as once again someone knocked on his office door while he was trying to finish his paperwork.

"Come in," he called.

And once again, Kasugai Kouyou walked in silently and stood before his desk.

"Ah, Kouyou-kun, it's you. Have a seat," Fumihiko said. The brunette nodded and sat down opposite him, red eyes boring into him unblinkingly. "I'm sorry if I seem a little distracted. But what with these new Festum appearing, the destruction of the coagula, it's left me, well, a little distracted."

"It's quite alright, commander. In fact, that's what I came to talk to you about," Kouyou said, looking slightly uneasy himself - which was a very rare thing indeed nowadays. "I know who sabotaged the coagula."

"You do? Who was it?"

"It was Shin."

"But why would he do that?" Fumihiko demanded. "I figured we had another spy from the Neo UN. They're still not all that happy with our activities, even after we helped them defeat the Mir."

"Shin has been partially assimilated by the Festum. On that day when we were both attacked, he rid himself of the assimilation crystal, but not fast enough," Kouyou explained. "Even this slight trace of assimilation allows them to talk to him, to influence his actions. I feel rather ashamed of myself for not noticing it sooner. It's just that... the Festum side of me holds more president over my emotions than my human side - as you could probably tell. Sometimes it makes me miss things that others would notice."

"What else didn't you notice then?"

"Shin is somewhat... attached to me. It may have made it easier for the Festum to trick him and take him over; seeing as the reason he destroyed the coagula was to keep me here," Kouyou said. "And I didn't realise how he felt until he told me. I don't think I've handled the situation very well."

"Well, for now we'll keep him in custody, just in case he tries to do anymore damage," Fumihiko decided, reaching for the phone. "Hopefully we'll be able to rid him of the assimilation."

"Yes. But please don't punish him," Kouyou said insistently. "It's not really his fault."

"Kouyou-kun, you seem very concerned about him. I think you've got more humanity left in you than-- Oh, Chizuru, is that you? Good. I need to have Shin transferred over to one of the prison cells. We've found out that he was behind the incident in the core room, so-- What did you say?"

Kouyou watched curiously as a worried look covered Fumihiko's face.

"But how did he manage that? Ok, I see... We'll be there right away. Goodbye, Chizuru." With that, Fumihiko put the phone down.

"What's wrong?" Kouyou inquired.

Fumihiko looked at him gravely. "It's Shin - he's gone."

* * *

Shin stumbled down the dimly lit hallways, ducking round corners, trying not to be noticed.

Luckily for him it was quite late in the evening, and most of the staff had already left earlier, eager to hurry home and get out of the rain.

Shin didn't know where he was going; only that he had to get away from the others.

"Kouyou-sama must have told the humans what I've done by now," Shin murmured under his breath, clutching at the smooth metal wall. "I wonder what they'll do when they find me. Perhaps they'll kill me. I did betray them after all. And in the end, it didn't help me at all... Kouyou-sama... he doesn't love me."

'_You're_ _right. The others will hate you now - even Kouyou,'_ the Festum whispered in his head.

Shin blanched and shuddered against the wall, blinking back tears. "But, I-- I just wanted--"

_'They will all be hunting you down. We are the only ones you can trust now. We are the only ones on your side. So you must help us find what we want.'_

Shin swallowed and nodded absently. For some reason he felt compelled to help them. "What is it that you want?"

_'We want all of us to become one, as we were supposed to be. Take us to the Siegfried System. It lets the humans' minds become one, so perhaps it will do the same for us.'_

"The Siegfried System?" Shin echoed, suddenly remembering what Kouyou had told him about that machine.

"_During the last days of the war, before the north-pole Mir was destroyed, the Festum came to Tatsumiya Island and stole the Siegfried System - along with its operator, Minashiro Soushi - and took them back to the north-pole_."

"Kazuki must have been sad when the Festum stole Soushi and the system," Shin mused out loud. "But Soushi came back from the Festum's side unharmed..."

_'Minashiro Soushi joined with the Festum. He is still part of us. He belongs to us, now that the others are gone.' _

"But Kazuki... he'll be sad again if you take him away, too," Shin whispered, limping slowly in the direction of the Siegfried System's room. "Kouyou-sama told me that Kazuki had almost tried to kill himself when he thought Soushi was dead. ... I wonder if Kouyou-sama would be that sad if I were to disappear?"

_'When we return to that far-away place we will all be one. There will be no such thing as sadness or loneliness. We will all be together.'_

"I suppose that's true..."

The lift doors flew open and Shin was bathed in a soft blue light. "The Siegfried System," he said, staring up at the great machine as he walked carefully along the little pathway through the sparkling azure computer water. "Should we assimilate with it now?"

_'No. It is now the right time yet. We must wait here until the one we want is inside.'_

* * *

Kazuki twisted and turned in his sleep, his fingers clutching at the sheets. "No..." he moaned, his face scrunching up in angst. "Soushi..."

In his dream Kazuki could see it all too clearly; the Siegfried System before him, covered in those horrible golden tentacles, clawing their way inside.

Soushi was crying out, calling to him, begging Kazuki to save him. He had to reach him before that Festum assimilated him. Not much time left...

Kazuki pulled the roots aside, but more soon appeared to black his path again.

"Soushi!"

"Kazu...ki..."

And then suddenly Kazuki was inside the system with him. He watched, frozen in horror as the green assimilation crystals climbed higher up Soushi's body, passed his chest and shoulders.

Soushi's eyes were wide open, but unseeing, staring at a point just beyond Kazuki's shoulder. "Kazu...ki," he stammered, fighting to get the words out. "I--"

That blond Festum was standing behind Soushi, one hand against Soushi's chair, the other resting in his hair. "Minashiro Soushi isn't here anymore - he's ours now," the Festum whispered, a dark smirk on its face.

And then the crystal covered Soushi completely.

"NO!" Kazuki woke up screaming hysterically, his heart hammering in his chest. "No! Soushi, come back! Soushi!"

Soushi, woken up by Kazuki's screams, sat up sharply and looked over at him in alarm. "Kazuki? Kazuki, what's wrong?!" he demanded, shaking him by the shoulders.

Soushi's touch snapped him out of his daze and Kazuki stared back at Soushi, eyes wide in the darkened room. "Soushi, are you really there?" he asked fearfully, moving closer to the blond boy.

"Yes, I am here. I'm right here, see?" Soushi reassured him, rubbing his shuddering form tenderly. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yes, I did. It was about you being assimilated by the Festum," Kazuki answered shakily. "I... I used to dream that a lot when you were gone, and when I woke up, you were never there..."

"Well it's OK now. I'm here and I don't intend to leave you again," Soushi insisted. "Now try and get back to sleep; I'll still be right here when you wake up."

"OK Soushi, I'll try."

The pair of them laid back down and for a while all was quiet in the little bedroom.

"Soushi," Kazuki started softly. "What was it like with the Festum?"

"I can't really recall it all that clearly," Soushi answered, furrowing his brow. "I remember that it seemed like I was floating... somewhere, surrounded by Festum. They kept asking me questions and I kept answering them. And then after a while everything went dark and I woke up on the beach."

"You know when that Festum attacked on that day... when I saw the Siegfried System blowing up before my eyes I-- I just couldn't believe it at first. I'd never felt so helpless," Kazuki said, voice thick with emotion. "I couldn't do anything to stop it. You were right there in front of me and I couldn't do anything to help you."

"Kazuki you shouldn't talk like that. It doesn't matter anymore."

"No, you don't understand. At that time I thought you were dead, and there was no cure for my assimilation, so I thought I would be dead soon too. And so I asked my father if I could go and fight the north-pole Mir by myself - alone. I knew that I probably wouldn't make it back; but at the time I didn't intend to come back. I wanted to go down fighting. I wanted to die for your sake..."

"Kazuki... You've never told me that before," Soushi said, not quite sure how to react.

"I didn't want you to feel guilty about it. It's my fault you almost died after all."

"How on earth was it your fault? You didn't know the Festum were after the Siegfried System."

"Yes, but if I hadn't hurt your eye then you could pilot a Fafner and you would never have been inside the Siegfried System in the first place," Kazuki said, fighting back tears.

"Kazuki, for the last time stop feeling guilty about that; I don't blame you for what happened to my eye. This scar is precious to me. I treasure it because you gave it to me," Soushi told him firmly. He grabbed Kazuki's hand and held it up against the scar, the dark-haired boys fingers twitched as he resisted the urge to pull away.

"But Soushi, I hurt you--"

"Shh, Kazuki," Soushi hushed, leaning in to kiss him softly on the lips. "Because of this scar, no matter how far apart we may be, I'll always have a part of you with me."

"Thank you, Soushi. I'll try not to feel so sad about it anymore, really I will," Kazuki whispered, nuzzling his face against Soushi's neck. "You know... I don't really feel all that sleepy anymore."

"Really? Well then I guess I'll just have to make you sleepy," Soushi said breathily.

Kazuki watched, a quiet gasp escaping his lips as the hand on his should slid down to his lap.

"Soushi, are you sure?"

"Don't talk, Kazuki. Just relax and enjoy yourself."

"Okay..."

* * *

The next few days passed relatively peacefully as October neared November. But like all things, peace would come to an end and the Festum would draw closer...

* * *

Kouyou walked steadily along the pathway leading to the Siegfried System. He had been searching for Shin for some time now, and he had a feeling he would find him here.

"Shin, are you there?" he asked, voice echoing in the large room. "Please come out."

After what seemed like an age Shin slowly stepped out from behind the lift shaft up to the system, the room's soft blue glow lighting up his pale features. "Kouyou-sama, I... I'm sorry I ran away. I'm sorry that I did such a thing; betraying you... betraying everyone. But, I--" Shin broke off, slumping to the floor as sobs wracked his small body.

Kouyou knelt in front of him, resting a hand atop his dark-haired head. "It's OK, Shin. I'm not mad at you. I know it wasn't your fault," he said, a surprising amount of kindness in his deep red eyes. "It was the fault of those Festum. They took control of you."

"Yes," Shin nodded weakly, leaning his head against Kouyou's chest. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt you on purpose. I love you."

"I love you too, Shin."

Shin's eyes widened and he gasped as Kouyou tilted his chin up and pressed their mouths together.

"K-kouyou-sama... I, I don't know what to say," Shin stammered when Kouyou pulled away. He gazed up at the older boy's face, the blue lighting making him appear even more beautiful to Shin.

Kouyou just smiled, pushing Shin back until the boy was lying flat on his back with Kouyou resting on top of him.

"You'd like to become one with me, wouldn't you?" Kouyou asked him, bringing their mouths close together again.

Shin nodded faintly. "Yes, I would," he breathed.

"Good. So would I."

_'Wake up._'

Shin sat up abruptly, a deep blush covering his face. His heart race as his eyes darted about, trying to gather his bearings; he was still in the Siegfried System room, as he had been for almost a week now. He was beginning to grow tired of it.

"Why did you have to wake me up?" he asked tiredly.

_'It is night time now. We think it would be good for you to get some food now while no-one else is around. You have to keep up your strength,_' the Festum answered.

"Yes, I know," Shin said getting to his feet shakily.

Since he had gone into hiding in the Siegfried System room the only time he allowed himself to come out was at night, when the rest of the Alvis staff had gone home. He'd creep up to the level above and buy some food and drink from the vending machines. It was the only the only time he could move freely and avoid being seen, but the lack of nourishment left him feeling weak and the Festum talking inside his head left him even weaker.

_'We have been observing your dreams,' the Festum said as Shin trudged up the long flight of stairs. 'From your dreams we have noticed that the humans have another way of becoming one apart from the Siegfried System - the humans call it sex._'

Shin blushed, somewhat taken-aback. "Er, yes, that's right."

_'We would like to see this 'sex' so that we can understand humans better. You must help us see it.'_

"I'm not going to watch people having sex like some sort of voyeur!" Shin snapped indignantly. He hurriedly retrieved his sandwich and can of lemonade from the vending machine, eager to return to his hiding place.

'Well _then you must have sex with someone so that we can understand it.'_

Shin stumbled, almost falling down the stairs in shock. "W-what?! I can't do that!"

_'Perhaps with that person you like; Kouyou. He would be a good choice seeing as he is a core type created by a different Mir. We would like to understand him too.'_

"I can't do that with Kouyou-sama," Shin whispered, feeling his face burn at the very idea.

_'Why not? You dream about it.'_

Shin settled down beside the Siegfried System again. He couldn't really argue with the Festum; even though he was technically less than a year old, thanks to their Mir speeding up his growth he had the body and hormones of an average fourteen year-old, and he did find himself very attracted to Kouyou.

'But Kouyou-sama doesn't like me. He rejected me.' Shin didn't want to think about that right now. "When will the others get here? I'm tired of just sitting in this place."

_'Soon. Very soon. The time is almost upon us; when we return to us what is rightfully ours.'_

* * *

There was the strangest feeling in the air lately; as though the world was holding its breath, waiting to see what terrible, life-changing event would occur next. Maya didn't like this feeling.

There had been no sign of the new Festum now for a few weeks, but Maya knew they would be back. She thought that Kazuki knew it too. Ever since the last Festum attack Kazuki had this look in his eyes; sad and anxious, fearfully waiting for the next appearance of the Festum. Something had frightened him that day, but Maya didn't know what it was.

A few months earlier Maya wouldn't have hesitated to talk to Kazuki about it, but now that Soushi was back she wasn't sure how to act around Kazuki anymore. If Kazuki was sad about something, he'd probably much rather talk to Soushi about it than Maya.

Maya knew Kazuki's heart was spoken for, and she knew she'd told Canon that she had gotten over her feelings for him. But still... she couldn't help but feel jealous when she saw the two of them together. Soushi had all of his attention now, and Kazuki barely spared her a glance.

_'I wonder if this is how Shouko felt when she saw them together.'_

Maya felt guilty for feeling jealous of Soushi. It wasn't really his fault, and she knew Kazuki wasn't ignoring her on purpose. Even before they had become a couple they had always been at the forefront of each other's minds. Maya had seen the longing in their faces, every time they'd glanced in each other's direction. But they had been blind to it.

But now after everything they'd been through, they had finally opened their eyes and learnt how to see. And Maya was left behind again.

_'If only Minashiro-kun hadn't returned, that way maybe Kazuki-kun would-- No. I shouldn't think such terrible things.'_

"Maya. Hey, Maya."

Maya was jolted back to reality by the rough, yet hesitant voice of Canon. She glanced up and the red-haired girl and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I was miles away."

"That's alright. Here; your tea," Canon said, holding out a mug to her.

"Thank you," Maya said, readily accepting it, before turning to gaze back out the window at the unblemished blue sky. "You know, I think that we should all go on a picnic someday soon."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Canon said, looking up from her own steaming cup of tea.

The two of them were once again settled down comfortably in the Toomi's sitting room, babysitting Yumiko's daughter, Kibou. Luckily for them, Kibou had fallen asleep relatively quickly.

"Well it occurred to me the other day that we hadn't gone on a group day out for ages; not since that day on the beach last year, I think."

"Yes, but we haven't exactly had much to celebrate lately," Canon murmured.

"I know, but now we have; Sakura getting better and Minashiro-kun returning," Maya said, her voice gaining enthusiasm. "I'll have to ask Kazuki-kun about it the next time I see him - after all, someone will have to cook the food."

"Poor Kazuki; even on his day off he'll have to do some work," Canon said, the beginnings of a smile creeping across her face. "Well if you're really planning on making this happen, you'd better start getting it organised soon; I have a feeling the peaceful days won't last for much longer."

* * *

A couple of days later, it started.

Fumihiko had arrived home late the night before; he and Kouyou had been searching for Shin since the boy had disappeared, with no luck.

Fumihiko was awoken early in the morning, not long after the sun had risen, by a soft voice whispering to him. "Fumihiko. Fumihiko, wake up. They're coming, Fumihiko. They're almost here. You have to wake up. The others will need your help."

Fumihiko blinked tiredly as his brain struggled to focus; that voice, it sounded vaguely familiar. It sounded like--

The shrill ringing of his cell phone startled Fumihiko into coherency, and he fumbled around his bedside cabinet. Grabbing the phone, he put it to his ear and answered, "Makabe Fumihiko speaking."

"Commander Makabe, I'm sorry for calling you at this hour, but this is an emergency!" Yumiko's panicked voice answered. "You need to get to Alvis right away; more of those new Festum are approaching the island. They'll be here in about twenty minutes!"

Fumihiko was on his feet in an instant. "What?! I'll be there as soon as I can - ring the rest of the pilots."

"Yes, sir!"

With that Fumihiko hung up, pulling on his Alvis jacked and across the hallway to Kazuki and Soushi's room. "Kazuki, Kazuki!" he said urgently, knocking heavily on the door. "Wake up, Kazuki."

A moment later the door slowly opened and his son's sleepy face peered out at him. "Dad...? What's going on?"

"The new Festum are back - now. We have to get down to Alvis."

All traces of sleep were gone in a flash. "I'll wake Soushi. Hold on a moment," Kazuki said his voice steady despite the sudden wave of fear that passed over him.

A few minutes later the three of them were rushing through the doors of Alvis.

"Soushi-kun, you go to the Siegfried System. Kazuki, you go and meet up with the other pilots in the docking bay," Fumihiko ordered them. "And please, both of you... take care," he added before turning to head for CDC.

"Understood, commander," Soushi nodded.

"We'll be careful, dad," said Kazuki.

The two of them stood in silence as they watched Fumihiko stride off down the stark white hallway.

"Well, I guess we'd better get moving; time is of the essence," Soushi spoke up awkwardly.

"Yes, you're right," Kazuki agreed. "Um, Soushi..."

"Yes?"

Soushi gasped in pleasant surprise as Kazuki pulled him forward into his arms and kissed him softly.

"Please be careful, Soushi," the dark-haired boy whispered against his lips. "I don't think I could stand it if I lost you again."

"The same goes for you too, Kazuki," Soushi said, pulling away from the other boy's embrace. "The last time those new Festum came here they did something to help us; making your eyes their normal could. This time we may not be so lucky."

* * *

Shin watched, feeling the Festum inside him tingling in anticipation as Soushi descended the stairs towards the Siegfried System.

"_The one we are waiting for is almost there,_" the Festum said.

Shin nodded, slinking back behind the system as Soushi entered the lift shaft. Once Soushi was safely inside, Shin stepped out of the shadows, staring up at the great blue machine. "Should I send the signal yet?" he asked.

"_No. The rest of us have almost arrived. When they have landed, then it shall be the right time._"

* * *

Fumihiko had just arrived in CDC. "What's happening out there? How many Festum are there?"

"I'm not entirely sure, sir; the scanners say there's eleven, but I can only see ten on the view-screen," answered Rina.

"Show me."

The view-screen came to life in the middle of the room, showing on it a group of reptilian-like Festum flying towards the island in a circular formation.

"I can only count ten, too," Fumihiko said, eyes narrowing. "But from the way they're positioned there may be another one in the centre of the group, shielded by the others."

"Why would they want to shield it, sir?" Rina asked in confusion.

"I'm not sure - perhaps it's a different type of Festum."

"Sir, the Fafners are launching," Yumiko cut in. "They're approaching the enemy."

Fumihiko sighed and sunk down into his chair, his eyes never leaving the screen. _'I wonder what they're up to today_?' he thought.

"You're right; that Festum in the centre is different, commander."

Fumihiko jumped and looked up. "Kouyou-kun, when did you get here?"

"Just now." Kouyou came and stood beside Fumihiko. "The pilots should be careful; last time their weapons didn't do any damage to these Festum."

"I know..." Fumihiko murmured uncomfortably.

"Perhaps they weren't aiming for the right place."

"So what do you think the right place would be?"

"Well, that's for you to figure out, isn't it?" the brunette replied mysteriously.

Fumihiko could feel another headache coming on. "This is no time to be cryptic, Kouyou-kun..."

Suddenly a view-screen opened up beside them with Soushi's face on it. "Commander, we're almost at the target," he informed him. "How do you think we should approach these Festum?"

"With caution - until you can find out how to damage them," Fumihiko said.

"Yes, sir," nodded Soushi, his face fading abruptly from the screen.

* * *

"Kazuki, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Soushi. What is it?"

Soushi's red holographic form appeared next to Kazuki. "Can you tell me again what happened the last time you came into contact with these new Festum?"

"Soushi, you're not still jealous of that Festum, are you?" Kazuki asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "I already told you that I thought it was you when it appeared. That's the only reason--"

"No, no, that has nothing to do with it," Soushi quickly cut in, looking amused. "We're still trying to figure out how to fight these Festum, so anything you can remember might be useful."

"As I said before; it just appeared to me in your form and tried to, er, distract me."

"Well, OK. That doesn't help us much... Just be careful, Kazuki. We're almost there."

Soushi's red form faded away again as Kazuki stared determinedly ahead.

'I _wonder what form it'll take on this time. Although... it's a bit strange._' Kazuki frowned as something occurred to him. _'If that Festum had actually appeared inside my Fafner, wouldn't Soushi have seen it too? What was it Toomi said... 'It just held on to your Fafner's arm for a few minutes, and then it let go and flew away.' Maybe it was casting some kind of vision or illusion. Maybe that's what these Festum do... they use illusions._'

Kazuki was excited by this new development, eager to tell Soushi about his theory.

"Hey, Soushi, I think I've figured out-- AH!"

Kazuki cried out as Mark Sein jolted to a stop, and just before his monitor died he caught a brief glimpse of the golden Festum holding on to his Fafner's arm.

"I really need to start paying attention more often. I let that thing just sneak right up on me," Kazuki murmured, feeling almost amused by his idiocy. "Now I've just got to ignore its illusion and work out how to destroy it."

"Hello, child of Alvis."

Kazuki froze. His mouth went dry. He knew that voice. He'd hoped that he would never hear it again. "You..." he whispered, turning his head he saw that blond Festum standing behind him, its usual smirk present on its face.

"We seem to have upset you, child of Alvis. Why? We gave you back what you wanted."

Kazuki grit his teeth. _'Just ignore it. Just ignore it. It isn't real. It's an illusion. If you destroy the Festum then you'll destroy its illusion._'

The blond Festum leaned in closer. "You don't like us, do you? Especially not the form we are in now; we took away the one who was important to you. We enjoyed his company. We learnt many things from him. We... explored him."

Kazuki flinched. He wanted to scream at this Festum to shut up. But he had to ignore it. He couldn't let it know it was affecting him.

"We learned about hatred, pain and anger from the other humans we joined with, and so we showed these emotions to the Siegfried System controller when we became one with him - he didn't like it. He cried and begged for us to stop - but we didn't. We enjoyed it. We would like to feel the crossing again..."

"Stay away from Soushi, you bastard!" Kazuki shouted before he could stop himself. He was livid; what the hell had these creatures done to Soushi when they'd kidnapped him - Kazuki didn't want to think about it. He also realised that he'd fallen right into these new Festum's trap; they'd distracted him.

Well not for much longer. He moved his hand slightly, getting ready to aim his sword at where he guessed the new Festum was. If he could stab it that would at least make it let go and stop this illusion; he couldn't stand to hear anymore of what this Festum had to say.

With a snarl of fury Kazuki drove the sword forward. The image of the blond Festum flickered and then vanished, and Kazuki smiled in relief as the monitor came back on. He'd managed to stab the Festum right in the hand, forcing it to let go. A moment later its hand exploded, causing it to shriek and flail about in distress.

Kazuki watched in realisation. "Its hands are its weak spot." Wasting no time he aimed the rail gun at its other hand and fired, watching in satisfaction as the Festum was engulfed in a familiar black ball of energy.

"Soushi, can you hear me? I've figured out its weakness," Kazuki called to Soushi.

"Yes, I saw; it's the hands," Soushi said. "The other pilots appear to have been caught by these Festum. I've tried calling them, but they're not responding."

Kazuki's eyes widened in alarm. "What? Hang on, I'll help them. Those Festum cause illusions by holding on to you - the others are probably trapped in one right now."

"Illusions?" Soushi repeated softly. "That's-- Kazuki, look; that Festum in the centre in moving. It's heading towards the surface. ... Doesn't it look kind of familiar?"

"Yes, it does," Kazuki replied, feeling his breath catch in his throat. It looked the kind of Festum that Mamoru had died fighting, the kind of Festum that had... attacked the Siegfried System. Kazuki felt trapped; should he go after that Festum or help his friends first?

Kazuki breathed in, trying to stay calm. He turned and fired at the Festum that was holding on to Maya's Fafner. The creature cried out as its hand blew up.

"Tomi! Are you OK?" Kazuki asked quickly.

"K-kazuki-kun?" said Maya's tearful sounding voice. "What's going on? I just saw... I saw--"

"That Festum was holding onto you. They cause illusions," Kazuki explained. "What did you see?"

"I saw Shouko dieing. It was horrible, Kazuki-kun..."

"Tomi, I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I haven't got time to listen right now; there's another Festum about to land on the island, and I've got to stop it. I need you to take care of the rest f these Festum."

"I understand, Kazuki-kun," Maya answered, pulling herself together. "But how do I harm them?"

"Aim for their hands."

"OK. Good luck."

"Kazuki, the other Festum has landed on the island," Soushi's voice cut in.

* * *

_'We have arrived. Send the signal now_,' the Festum instructed Shin.

"Yes," said Shin, his voice almost monotone, his eyes a dull shade of red. "I am you. You are me. We are here... waiting."

* * *

"Sir, that other Festum has landed on the island. It seems to be looking for something," Yumiko said.

Kouyou's head shot up, a gasp escaping him as he clutched at the wall for support. Fumihiko looked over at him worriedly. "Kouyou-kun, what's the matter?"

"I felt Shin's presence just now. He was calling to that Festum out there. He was telling it where he is; where it has to go," Kouyou said roughly. He made a move towards the door. "Now I know where he is, too."

"Kouyou-kun, where are you going?" Fumihiko called after him. "Where is Shin?"

Kouyou looked back at him sadly. "The Siegfried System room."

"Sir, that Festum is starting to move," Yumiko said, pulling Fumihiko's attention away from Kouyou.

* * *

Soushi looked around nervously as the Siegfried System started to shake. He watched in shock as the golden Festum tentacles suddenly burst in through the roof, a moment later the Festum followed, landing in the computerized water surrounding the system.

'No. This can't be happening. Not again,' Soushi though as the golden creature loomed up in front of him.

"_Anata wa soko ni imasu ka_?"

Ooh, a cliff-hanger. Let's hope it doesn't take me another year to update. See you next time everyone.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: As you can see, I've finally written a new chapter. I hope you'll all be pleased with it, as it contains a certain scene that some of you may have been waiting for; a KazuSou sex scene.

Oh well, there's nothing much more to say. I have a couple of other stories ideas in the works too, just in case the next "Days of Blue" chapter takes an age to write.

Read and enjoy everyone!

PART EIGHT: GUILT - JOINING

Soushi continued to stare at the golden being in front of him in shock. _'It's happening again,_' he thought, his hands shaking. _'Why...?_'

"Soushi-kun, are you alright?" Fumihiko's worried voice sounded through the radio.

"Yes...," Soushi answered him slowly. "But the Festum is in here too. I don't know what to do."

"Get out of the system - now!"

"What? But the Siegfried System doesn't have--"

"Yes it does. When we rebuilt the system we added an eject system, just like in the Fafners," Fumihiko interrupted. "Now just hurry up and eject!"

Soushi didn't think he'd ever heard Fumihiko sound this stressed before; he must really be worried about him.

'_Now I can see where Kazuki gets it from,_' Soushi thought as he glanced at the control panel. He noticed a little red button that he didn't recall seeing before and guessed that this was the eject button. He was right.

Soushi yelped in surprised as the seat he was in suddenly shot back down the lift-shaft at break-neck speed. He'd just about got his breath back by the time the lift doors opened. He stumbled out of the doors and collapsed to his knees. _'Now that I'm not in the system I can't communicate with Fumihiko-san or the pilots._'

A smashing sound came from above, and Soushi looked up just in time to see the golden Festum tentacles break through the side of the Siegfried System. If he hadn't ejected when he had... he would probably be being assimilated at this moment.

Shin watched from his hiding place. "He escaped from the system!" he gasped, feeling the Festum inside him growl in anger.

_'We'll have to do it ourselves,_' the Festum whispered.

"Yes," Shin agreed, getting to his feet.

Soushi heard the footsteps and looked around, his eyes widening as he saw Shin striding towards him through the water. "What are you doing in here? Shin, what's..." He trailed off as he caught sight of the younger boy's dull red eyes. _'He's been assimilated!_'

A sudden image of his younger self standing before Kazuki, his own eyes red and brilliant green crystals jutting out of his hand, passed through Soushi's mind. He didn't like where this was heading.

"Shin, snap out of it!" Soushi said sharply, backing away.

The green crystals burst out of the palm of Shin's hand. "Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?"

The Festum had pulled away from the Siegfried System, seeming to realise that what it wanted was no longer inside. It turned and swiftly extended one of its tentacles towards Soushi, knocking the blond boy off of his feet.

Soushi hit the floor with a loud thud, his side slamming heavily against the metal pathway. _'That's going to leave a bruise,_' he though groggily as Shin loomed over him.

"Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?" Shin repeated, moving his hand closer.

"Shin, stop it!"

Shin paused, blinking. His eyes turned green again. "Kouyou-sama?" He glanced up and saw the brunette standing at the top of the stairs down to the system.

"Shin, don't do this. Don't listen to them," Kouyou continued, making his way down the stairs.

Shin faltered, his eyes flickering between green and red as he tried to fight off the assimilation. "Kouyou-sama... help me!"

Soushi stared up at him helplessly. He knew he should try and move out of the reach of the assimilation crystal; but right now his side felt like it was on fire, he'd probably done some damage to the muscles, and wasn't certain if he even could get up.

_'Do it now!_" the Festum inside Shin hissed.

"No!" Shin gasped, clutching at his head. "I won't betray them like this! Get out of me! Leave me alone!"

_'You are us and we are you. You will do as we say._'

"No!"

_'If you won't, we will._' With that the Festum started advancing upon Soushi.

Kouyou finally reached them. "Soushi, can you get up? You need to get out of here."

Soushi shook his head. "No, I don't think I can get up," he admitted bitterly. "I think I might have cracked a rib when I hit the floor."

Kouyou took the news in his stride. Leaning down he carefully put his arm around Soushi's waist and helped him to his feet. "Come on, Soushi. You can do it."

"Thank you-- Kouyou! The Festum; look out!"

Kouyou's head snapped up and he saw the Festum moving towards them, assimilation crystals jutting out of the ends of its tentacles. _'Both of them; we'll assimilate both of them._'

"No, leave them alone. Leave Kouyou-sama alone," Shin whispered, stepping between them and the Festum, his now red eyes narrowed in a challenge.

"Shin, you get out of here too," Kouyou ordered him, still holding Soushi up. The blond looked pale and on the verge of consciousness.

The tentacles sprung forward, one lunged at Shin, tossing him aside like a rag doll. The other grabbed Kouyou by the leg, pulling him away from Soushi.

"Shin! Soushi!" Kouyou called, struggling to break free.

A third tentacle shot out, wrapping itself around Soushi's waist and dragging him off the pathway. _'If we cannot have him, no-one can,_' the Festum said, shoving Soushi's face into the water.

Soushi coughed, choking on the azure coloured water. _'Am I going to die? I can't - I promised Kazuki that I wouldn't leave him again..._' And then the world around him grew dark and then suddenly faded.

* * *

Kazuki was flying towards the island as fast as he could. He had panicked when he'd seen that Festum burrowing into the ground. And he had panicked even more when the crossing between himself and Soushi had abruptly stopped.

"Soushi, what happened? Can you hear me? Soushi!" Kazuki landed Mark Sein beside the hole, and peered down into it. "I think the Siegfried System room is down there..."

Wasting no time, Kazuki leapt down the hole after the Festum, still calling to Soushi. "Soushi! Please answer me! Soushi!" He could feel tears running down his face as he immediately began to fear the worst. "Soushi might have been assimilated by the Festum again. ... No! He can't have been! He can't! Soushi!"

As he entered the system room Kazuki took in the figure of the golden Festum resting in the water, its tentacles extended in all directions. Once of them was wrapped tightly around Kouyou's leg, preventing him from escaping.

Kouyou looked up as Mark Sein burst in through the roof. "Kazuki, stop the Festum - quickly!"

Kazuki looked frantically around the room - where was Soushi? Suddenly he caught sight of a flash of blond hair amongst the bright blue water. His breath caught in his throat; that Festum was trying to drown Soushi, he realised.

"Those bastards," Kazuki cursed under his breath. With a snarl of fury he aimed the rail gun and fired at the tentacle that was holding Soushi down. It exploded in a black cloud and Soushi fell limply to the floor.

Distracted by Kazuki's attack, the Festum turned to face Mark Sein, letting go of Kouyou in the process. Kouyou struggled forward, dragging Soushi's face out of the water and laying him down gently on the walkway. Kouyou titled his head, staring closely at Soushi's face; it looked far too pale for his liking. He looked... dead.

Tearing his gaze away from Soushi, he saw Shin laying still on the floor. He crawled over to the younger boy, almost gasping in surprise at what he saw; Shin's eyes were completely red and glazed over.

_'Assimilation..._' Kouyou thought, pulling the boy into his arms. "Shin, can you hear me?" he asked, not expecting to receive a reply.

Kazuki was still dealing with the Festum. It turned out to be a lot easier to kill than the other new Festum, going down after only a few shots to the head from the rail gun.

Once he was sure it was dead, Kazuki drew Mark Sein to a halt and quickly ejected, hurrying through the water to Soushi. "Soushi, Soushi!" he cried out in his usual frantic way. He sunk to the floor next to Soushi, resting his head on his knee. "Soushi, please wake up!" He shuddered, not bothering to stifle his sobs.

"Kazuki, is Soushi still alive?" Kouyou's calm voice asked.

"I, I... I don't know. I just... Soushi!"

"Check for a pulse. He's probably just unconscious."

Kouyou's sensible words of advice cut through Kazuki's haze of panic, and he took hold of Soushi's hand. He sighed in relief as he felt a slow, but steady pulse. "He's alive..."

"Now that the Festum have been defeated Fumihiko and the others will send a medical team down here," Kouyou said. "Soushi and Shin will be in good hands."

Kazuki started at his words. "Shin was in here?"

"Yes. He... He was giving directions to those new Festum."

Kazuki felt his eyes narrow. "What?" he whispered. _'Shin lead that Festum right to Soushi..._'

"Yes... He's been fully assimilated."

* * *

Soushi's eyelids slowly fluttered open and he was met by the worried face of Kazuki.

"Soushi, you're awake!" Kazuki cried out, wrapping his hands around one of Soushi's. "I'm so glad. I thought I'd lost you again today."

"Kazuki..." Soushi blinked tiredly. "What happened with the Festum? Are the other pilots alright? Did anyone get injured?"

"We defeated the Festum and the other pilots are all fine, so stop worrying," Kazuki assured him. "You should concentrate on yourself for once; Kouyou told me that you'd taken a bit of a fall."

"That's right. I remember the Festum knocking me over..." Soushi's hand instinctively reached to his injured side. "I thought I might have broken something."

"Not quite, Minashiro-kun; you were rather lucky today," Chizuru's warm voice said. Soushi and Kazuki glanced up as the blonde-haired doctor came and stood beside the bed.

"So how badly hurt am I, Toomi-sensei?" Soushi asked hesitantly.

"It turns out that you only bruised your ribs. You'll be a little tender for a week or so, but there's no reason why you can't go home as soon as you're feeling up to it. Just don't put too much of a strain on your side for a while."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Kazuki announced. "I'll make sure he gets some rest. He works too hard as it is."

"Kazuki, you're fussing again," Soushi said wearily.

"I am not!"

"Oh, Kazuki-kun, by the way; the others are next door in Sakura's room and I think Maya wanted to talk to you about something," Chizuru cut in. "Why don't you go and pay them a visit?"

"OK, I will." Kazuki hopped down off the bed, glancing back at Soushi. "I won't be long - you stay here and get your strength back."

* * *

"Oh Sakura, it was terrible, just terrible!"

"Shh, it's OK. It's all over now, Kenji," Sakura said, trying to reassure the boy who was practically sobbing into her bedcover. "Please try and calm down."

"But it seemed so real!" Kenji continued. "I saw you in that horrible, dark place, crying out for help and calling to me. Was that what it was really like when you were assimilated?"

"Yes, it was," Sakura answered him hesitantly. "But don't worry yourself over it now. I'm all better, and what you saw was just an illusion."

"But I swore to you once before that I would become strong and protect you. But I couldn't. I failed you..." Kenji trailed off, not meeting Sakura's gaze.

Kenji, along with Maya and Canon, were gathered around Sakura's bed in the little Alvis medical room. Since Sakura still wasn't strong enough to pilot a Fafner yet, and didn't want to be left out of the loop, she listened to their tales with interest - even if they weren't always pleasant.

"It seems that everyone saw something upsetting," Sakura commented, leaning back against her pillow.

"It seems so," agreed Maya. "I saw Shouko dieing. What about you, Canon?"

"I saw the rest of my family being assimilated," the quiet girl answered. "It hurts to remember such things."

"Yes, it does. I wonder what Kazuki-kun saw."

Kenji snorted in amusement, looking more cheerful. "Well I could take a wild guess."

"Kenji, don't--" Sakura stopped mid-sentence as the door opened and the boy in question came inside. "Hi, Kazuki. I hear you guys had an interesting morning."

"You could put it that way," Kazuki said, pulling up another chair. "Toomi, your mother told me that you wanted to talk to be about something."

"Oh, yes, that's right. I was talking to Canon the other day about how long it had been since we'd all gone on a day out together. So I thought that maybe we could all go on a picnic sometime soon." Maya paused, looking at Kazuki hopefully. "What do you think, Kazuki-kun?"

"A picnic in November?" Kenji piped up. "Are you kidding me?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Be quiet, Kenji."

Kazuki ignored his outburst and smiled at Maya warmly. "I think that's a great idea." He paused. "Wait - that means you'll want me to do some cooking, doesn't it?"

Maya laughed nervously. "Well, I'm sure we could give you a hand in the kitchen if you want."

"No, no, that's alright," Kazuki replied quickly, waving his hands dismissively. "I don't mind doing it myself."

"Yeah, we'd probably all end up with food poisoning if Maya got let loose in the kitchen - just leave it to Kazuki."

"Kenji!"

"Sorry, Sakura!"

"So, um, Kazuki-kun, how is Minashiro-kun doing?" Maya asked, thinking it would be best to change the subject. Though from the pained look that passed over Kazuki's face, she wondered if she'd made a mistake.

"He's fine, just a little bit bruised. The Festum didn't manage to assimilate him," Kazuki said. _'This time..._' he added in his head. "I'm a bit worried."

"That's unusual..."

"Kenji!"

"Sorry, Sakura!"

Kazuki tried his best to smile amicably. "The Festum tried to attack the system again, but Soushi got out in time."

"Well that's a good thing," Canon said matter-of-factly. "So why are you still brooding?"

"The Festum continued to pursue Soushi, even when he wasn't inside the system, so I don't think the system was the target this time," Kazuki said quietly, the fear apparent in his voice. "The new Festum are after Soushi. That means they'll be back. They'll always be back, until they get what they want..."

"Kazuki-kun..." Maya murmured anxiously, desperately wanting to wipe away all traces of that depressed, broken look from Kazuki's face. "You should talk to Minashiro-kun about this, and let him know how you're feeling."

"Yeah... you're right."

* * *

Kouyou stared down at the tank unblinking, transfixed by the sight before him. "Shin..."

The ebony haired boy lay unmoving in the little coffin-like tank, the red liquid covering him body like a curtain of blood; as red as his now frozen eyes.

"I must have looked like this when I was assimilated," Kouyou mused out loud, gazing down at the comatose form. He glanced around as the door slid open, revealing Toomi Chizuru.

The blonde woman smiled at him sympathetically. "Good afternoon, Kasugai-kun."

"Good afternoon, Toomi-sensei. How is he doing?"

"He's been fully assimilated, just as you thought. I'm afraid we're not sure when he'll wake up. We've given him the treatment, so we'll just have to wait and see if it does any good."

"I see," Kouyou answered emotionlessly. "It is my fault this happened. I failed to understand him. I failed to realise that he was being assimilated."

"Kasugai-kun, don't blame yourself," Chizuru said. "People take the blame for accidents far too much around here."

"But there is no one else to blame. I am the guilty one. I should have understood him and how he felt." Kouyou turned away. "I have to go now. Please let me know if there's any change in his condition."

With that Kouyou turned on his heel and strode out of the room. He trudged down the empty hallway towards the staff lounge, and went inside.

The room was bathed in darkness, save for the large view-screen that covered the far wall, giving off pale blue light. The brunette slumped down into one of the chairs, burying his head in his hands. He noticed a slight movement to his left. "Hello, commander."

"Hello, Kouyou-kun," Fumihiko said, his deep voice sounding overly-loud in the deathly silence of the lounge. "I heard about what happened to Shin. I'm sorry. I assume you're blaming yourself for it?"

"Yes - because it is my fault."

"Ah, that's what I thought." Fumihiko settled down in the chair beside Kouyou's. "I feel that way myself sometimes, when I think about... Akane's assimilation."

Kouyou glanced at him curiously, waiting for him to continue.

"The Festum attacked one of our off-shore bases one day. I, Akane and Mizoguchi were there at the time. One of the Festum lunged at me and Akane stood in its way, protecting me... and she was assimilated. Everyone told me that I shouldn't blame myself, and that Akane chose to protect me with her own free will. But still... I feel I am to blame."

Fumihiko sighed, staring down at his hands. "And then I remember that day, that horrible day when I had to tell Kazuki that his mother was no longer there. I had to lie to him about what happened. From that day on I swore I would do everything in my power to protect Kazuki and make him happy, just as Akane would have wanted."

"But our situations are different. You lost your wife, I lost my... friend," Kouyou said carefully. "And it was my fault because I failed to understand or care about his feelings for me."

"I'll tell you what I told Kazuki when he thought Soushi had been killed by the Festum - our two situations are exactly the same, except that when Akane left I had Kazuki to look after to take my mind off it," Fumihiko said. "You obviously care for Shin a great deal; otherwise you wouldn't be feeling so guilty about it now. As I tried to tell you before; you have more humanity left in you than you think."

Kouyou nodded. "Maybe you're right..."

"You're only here once, so you shouldn't waste your life on guilt and regrets. You know, we're all as bad as each other; I bet Shin's lying there right now blaming himself for what's happened, and when he wakes up he'll be trying to apologise to you for everything."

"You mean 'if' Shin wakes up again, perhaps he won't... Thank you, Fumihiko. I'll remember what you said."

* * *

Kazuki was once again standing in the bathroom, staring into the mirror as he mulled over the events of the day.

"I can't believe that I almost lost Soushi again today; if Soushi hadn't escaped from the system in time and if I hadn't killed that Festum as quickly, he would be… dead."

"But they'll be back. They're bound to be back. The Festum won't give up that easily."

Kazuki had been puzzling over what to say to Soushi for nearly an hour now. The blond probably knew he'd been worrying; he always seemed to be worrying about something; and that something was usually Soushi.

One thought did rush unbridled through Kazuki's mind though; it would be terrible for the two of them to be separated again, before they'd even had the chance to have sex.

Kazuki blushed. He couldn't help but think it. Ever since that night when he'd realised the new Festum might be after Soushi, he couldn't stop thinking it. The two of them had grown even closer since then; sharing more intimate touches and kisses, but still they hadn't gone all the way.

"I want to. Soon," Kazuki whispered. He wondered sometimes what they were waiting for. The thought of doing… that with Soushi made him nervous and hot and scared and excited all at once.

Kazuki swallowed, feeling warmth spread through him as he thought about what it would be like to touch Soushi, everywhere; to feel Soushi's soft hands and mouth on his skin; to--

"Kazuki, are you nearly done in there? I have to brush my teeth."

Soushi's calm voice washed over Kazuki like a bucket of ice water. He jumped and spun around in shock. "Er, um, yeah... I've just finished. You can come in if you want."

Soushi's head poked round the bathroom door, and he regarded Kazuki curiously. "Are you alright, Kazuki? You look rather flushed."

That was putting it mildly. Kazuki felt like his face was on fire. He nodded weakly, "Yes. It's just a bit too warm in here for me."

"Really? It feels freezing to me. You can really tell November's here."

Kazuki shifted awkwardly as Soushi walked past him and turned on the tap. Reaching for his toothbrush, he glanced at Kazuki in amusement. "What are you gaping at? I'm brushing my teeth – it's not exactly the most awe-inspiring sight ever."

"Er, yeah… right. I'll be in our room."

"OK. I'll be there in a minute."

Kazuki hurried out of the room, not wanting to make any more of a fool of himself than he had. He didn't know why he found it so embarrassing for Soushi to walk in on him fantasising about him; Soushi was his boyfriend – he was supposed to fantasise about him.

'_Does that mean Soushi fantasises about me too_?'

Kazuki felt the heat rushing back down to his groin as he considered that, and almost groaned out loud in frustration. He flopped down onto the bed just as Soushi came back into the room.

"Shall I turn the light off now?" Soushi asked.

"Hang on a second." Kazuki leaned over and flicked on the bedside lamp. "Go ahead."

Kazuki watched as Soushi made his way over to his side of the bed, his features bathed in the soft yellow light from the lamp. He noticed that Soushi was walking oddly. "Does your side hurt?" he asked him.

"Yes, a bit," said Soushi, sitting down gingerly on the bed. "Toomi-sensei gave me some cream to help ease the pain. I guess I should give it a try."

Kazuki felt his mouth go dry as Soushi started unbuttoning his pyjama top, revealing pale skin. "Do you need some help?" Kazuki asked once he'd found his voice.

Soushi looked up, noting the husky edge to Kazuki's voice. "If you'd like," he whispered in reply.

Kazuki moved forward eagerly, pulling the pyjama top off and out of their way with shaky fingers. He accepted the little tub of cream and spread a generous amount onto his hands.

Kazuki felt Soushi shiver as he rubbed that cream firmly into the dark bruise on his side, watching with interest as the hair stood up on the blond's arms and his nipples suddenly hardened. "It must be colder in here than I thought," he mused.

"T-that's not because of the cold," Soushi said roughly, voice muffled as he buried his head against Kazuki's shoulder.

"Soushi… does that feel better?" Kazuki asked quietly, eyes fixed on his hands as they moved back and forth across Soushi's skin.

"Yes…"

"Good." He moved one hand down to the lump that had risen up between Soushi's legs, gratified by the soft moan that the other boy let out.

"Ah, Kazuki… Please don't stop."

Kazuki nodded, shivering himself at the feel of Soushi's warm, breathy voice against his neck. He wanted… to go all the way now. What if the Festum came back tomorrow and managed to take Soushi away from him? They may never get another chance like this.

"Soushi, I want… I want to…"

"Kazuki, what is it?" Soushi asked, moving to look at the dark-haired boy's face, his own pale blue eyes clouded with excitement.

"I want to… become one with you. Please, I need you. I—"

Soushi cut him off, pressing a finger to his lips. "… Yes."

"Yes?" Kazuki echoed.

"Yes. I need you too. I think it's time."

Kazuki's eyes went wide as he took in Soushi's words. "It's just that I was thinking about how the Festum nearly took you away today. And about how they might be back tomorrow. And about how I didn't want you to leave me before we'd had the chance—"

"Shh, Kazuki. You don't have to explain," Soushi murmured, nuzzling his face gently as he started to take off Kazuki's pyjama top. "I feel the same way."

Soushi pushed the top aside and leaned forward, placing a kiss on the lightly-tanned skin before him. He continued on along his collar bone, smiling at the soft sounds that Kazuki was making.

Kazuki always seemed to be worrying about something, feeling guilty for something, and acting like he had to make amends.

Soushi rather enjoyed it when Kazuki was protective of him; he had become used to being the protector himself. But right now he wanted to make Kazuki relax and enjoy himself for once. He wanted to make him feel good, and in turn Kazuki would do the same for him.

Kazuki gasped harshly when Soushi's mouth found his nipple. "Ah! Soushi…"

"Does that feel nice, Kazuki?"

"Yes. I—I want to touch you too, Soushi."

The two of them moved in to kiss hungrily again, their hands running through each other's hair. The rest of their clothes were soon removed and Soushi leaned back against the mattress leisurely, pulling Kazuki down on top of him.

Kazuki planted his hands on either side of Soushi's head, resting above him and gazing down into the blond's flushed face. "Soushi," he started, hesitation clear in his voice. "Are you sure we should do this now? You're still injured."

"I told you before that it doesn't hurt much. Besides which…" Soushi reached a hand up to pull Kazuki's face nearer. "… You can take my mind off the pain. I want to feel you inside me."

Kazuki blushed. "Oh. … So how do I go about preparing you?" His eyes fell upon the forgotten tub of cream. "We could use this."

"Well, it is meant to get rid of pain, after all," Soushi chuckled, thrusting his hips lightly against Kazuki's.

Kazuki gasped against Soushi's throat in response, "Soushi..." He kissed and licked at the pale skin in front of him, suddenly filled with the overwhelming urge to taste and explore every inch of the boy beneath him.

Kazuki's fingers shook as he coated them with the sweet smelling cream, bringing one down to Soushi's entrance. "Tell me if I'm going too fast. I don't want to hurt you."

"OK," Soushi responded quietly, forcing himself to relax as Kazuki slipped a finger inside. He bit down on his lip; it felt painful.

Kazuki paused, wincing as Soushi's fingernails dug into his shoulders. "Soushi, are you sure—"

"Keep going," Soushi whispered, his eyes starting to water. "It'll hurt me more if you don't do this first."

Kazuki nodded, pushing a second slick finger inside. He could feel Soushi relaxing as he moved his fingers in and out. The blond gasped as and started to thrust his hips as Kazuki sped up his ministrations, rubbing his erection teasingly against Kazuki's stomach as he did.

Kazuki groaned softly against Soushi's neck, licking along the pale, sweaty skin. It felt so good. Soushi felt so good. He needed to be inside him soon.

With his free hand he coated his own aching erection in the cream, and looked into Soushi's eyes, whispering breathlessly, "Soushi, can I? Are you ready yet?"

"Yes, go on," Soushi said, bracing himself for what was to come next. His eyes widened as Kazuki slowly entered him; it felt very different to just the fingers. He was filled with a sense of warmth and fullness that he couldn't describe.

The warmth and tightness were the first things that Kazuki was aware of. It surrounded him completely, spreading through his whole body like wild fire, urging him forward at a frantic pace.

"Soushi," Kazuki moaned, staring down into the blond's eyes, hoping that he wasn't hurting him too much. "Is… Ah—is this alright?"

"It's alright... Kazuki," Soushi answered softly, thrusting his hips up to match Kazuki's movement. Even though it did hurt a little, he got used to it fast. And the pleasure was soon outweighing the pain. "Please, go faster."

Kazuki just nodded and complied with his wishes. Shaking hands buried themselves in his sweaty hair, pulling their faces closer together. Their mouths crushed against each other again and again, muffling cries of pleasure that were far too loud in the dense, silent night.

They wanted to stay like this forever; away from the rest of the world; away from Festum and anyone else who longed to separate them; just the two of them together. But the sensations were too new; the intimacy too new; and they knew it couldn't last much longer. After only a few more minutes they found their release, crying out each others names as they climaxed.

Kazuki panted quietly as he flopped down next to Soushi, leaning over to switch off the lamp in the process, leaving them in darkness. "Did you enjoy it, Soushi?" he asked after a moment.

Soushi looked over at him, smiling tiredly. "Yes; it was wonderful, Kazuki. I'm glad we decided to do this."

They shifted closer, arms reaching for each other. Soushi rested his head on Kazuki's chest, letting his heartbeat usher him towards sleep.

Despite what they'd just shared, Kazuki felt sad; what if the Festum did come back tomorrow and this was the only time they'd been together?

"Kazuki, what's wrong?" Soushi asked, tilting his head up to look at Kazuki's face. "You've gone all tense – that means you're worrying about something again."

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking; what if the Festum _do_ come back tomorrow and try to take you away again."

Soushi sighed. "You know, you can really spoil the mood, Kazuki. I _was_ trying to enjoy the afterglow."

"I'm serious, Soushi."

"And you think I'm not?"

"Soushi," Kazuki frowned at him.

"Oh, alright, Kazuki; I can't promise you that the Festum won't try to take me back, but if… if I do ever get taken away from you again, I'll always try to come back to you, just as I did last time. Because I love you, and this is where I belong; my paradise is here with you. Don't you ever forget that."

* * *

Who are we? We are Festum. We are human. We are one. No... We do not wish to be one. We wish to be "me" again; the "me" who existed before we became one.

**"_We'll have to ask commander Makabe what his name is later on," Doma mumbled quietly to Seri. "I don't like referring to him as simply 'the core'." _**

_**"I know what you mean," Seri agreed. "It makes it seem like he's some kind of thing; just an object."** _

Shin... We are Shin. But we are not Shin. We remember the Shin who existed before we became one. We wish to return to that form. We don't want to be part of the Festum... we want to just be our self.

**"_Do you know who I am?"_**

_**Kazuki was confused. "You're called Shin, aren't you?"**_

**"_Yes, that is what they call me. But everyone else has a last name; a family. They belong somewhere. Even the old core had that. So why don't I?"_**

**"_I- I don't know," Kazuki answered truthfully._**

**"_That's the problem; neither do I." Shin rested his head against the glass, his expression sad. "Am I just an experiment created by the Mir? I want to find out why I'm here." _**

We are the Core. That is our purpose. That is what the humans wanted from us. That is what the Mir wanted from us. But we do not want that. We want to be "me"

_**Shin stumbled forward as the glass lowered; falling straight into Kouyou's waiting arms. The child core stared up at him. "Who are you?" he asked.**_

**"_I am Kouyou. Once I was here as a human, but now I am here as something more; a cross between human and Festum. Rather like you, in a way." _**

**"_Like me?" Shin echoed, resting his head against Kouyou's chest._**

Kouyou... The existence who is like me, yet is not me. Kouyou is Kouyou. Kouyou is a Core too. Kouyou is Festum. Kouyou is human. Kouyou is Kouyou. We want to be close to Kouyou. We want to be one with Kouyou. But not like the Festum. We want to become one, but still be our self. We... love Kouyou.

**"_But, about Minashiro Tsubaki. I was made to be her replacement, wasn't I? Isn't that the purpose of my existence?" Shin stopped as Kouyou gazed at him. The wind had picked up, rustling their long hair, causing chocolate brown and ebony to mix._**

**"_I believe that isn't your purpose, that's just what the humans here expected of you," Kouyou said, gracing Shin with the briefest of smiles. "Life is a journey. You must walk the road of your life, to see what destination it takes you to."_**

I am me. I am not Tsubaki. Kouyou is Kouyou. Festum is Festum. I must find my own way; in my own way. I want to live my life without being led. It is my life. My purpose is mine to find. I cannot be one with Festum. I must learn to see with my own eyes...

"_Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?_"

Yes, I am here.

And suddenly the voices inside of him stopped and the silence was deafening.

Shin opened his eyes.

"... I am here, again."

See you in the next chapter everyone.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I still don't own Soukyuu no Fafner. If I did, this would be the second series, rather than a fanfic. I do own the character of Shin though.

Author's note: I was right, it DID take me an age to update. I'm sorry about that, guys; I'm slow, but never fear, I get there in the end! I just hope you'll think it was worth the wait.

Anyway, not much for me to say again. Hmm... Tsubaki makes an appearance in this chapter, the ending is a tad sappy, and I'm not completely satisfied with the chapter title. Enjoy! And look out for the next chapter, and all the other half-finished Fafner stories that I'm in the middle of writing.

* * *

PART NINE: WORRY - BELONGING 

Shin's eyelids slowly fluttered open, taking in the bright, blindingly-white surroundings. A feeling of panic washed over him when he realised that he was trapped inside a coffin-like tank.

"Where am I?"

"You are in the Alvis medical centre. Do not worry; you're safe now."

Shin jumped at the sound of the soft, calm female voice. Through the foggy glass he could make out the vague figure of a person. "Who are you?"

"My name is Tsubaki; Minashiro Tsubaki."

"What?!" Shin gasped, trying to sit up, only to find that the tank would not open. "But, but you died in the last war against the Festum. That's why I was created… to replace you. But I failed. That's why Kouyou-sama has to take my place as the core."

"You know in your heart that is not what Kouyou believes. He believes that the Mir didn't create you to become the core," said Tsubaki evenly. "I did not die in the war, Shin. I became one with the island. I am this island and this island is me. I can still watch over everyone and walk amongst them as I am doing now. But I don't do it often as I don't like to interfere."

A loud metallic clanking sound filled the air, and slowly the lid of the tank slid open, and Shin could see who he was talking to.

Tsubaki was just as she'd been described; short and young-looking, but with an incredible beauty and an air of mystery and wisdom radiating from her. She smiled down at Shin gently.

"You don't have to worry, you are no longer assimilated. You are simply you," Tsubaki said. "Kouyou will be pleased to see that you're awake. He has been very worried about you."

Shin blushed and Tsubaki giggled into her hand at his reaction. "I didn't want to make him worry," he said, sitting up slowly.

"He would be worried whether you wanted him to be or not – he cares for you a great deal; just as you care for him."

Shin's blush deepened as he looked at Tsubaki sadly. "Kouyou-sama doesn't love me the way I love him. He told me so himself."

Tsubaki smiled. "Sometimes it takes us a while to realise our true feelings. He'll be so relieved to see that you're OK. He's been blaming himself for your assimilation, you know."

"But it wasn't his fault, it was mine!" Shin exclaimed. "I let the Festum take advantage of my weakness. They convinced me that the only way I could get Kouyou-sama to stay here with me would be if I destroyed the core tube. But in the end it didn't help me, and I've betrayed everyone's trust and put them in danger. I don't see why anyone would ever forgive me…"

"That's not—" Tsubaki froze and glanced over at the door. "Chizuru is coming – I don't want her to see me yet." She turned back to Shin. "I have to go now, but I will be keeping an eye on things. Try not to worry about Kouyou; I'm sure he'll forgive you."

Shin watched in disbelief as Tsubaki faded before his eyes. A split-second later the door slid open, revealing a startled looking Toomi Chizuru. "Shin, you're awake!"

* * *

Soushi stared silently at the debris that littered the Siegfried System room. "I hadn't realised that the Festum had done this much damage during the last battle," he said, watching as the clean-up crew swept up the shattered shards of metal and glass.

The main body of the system had two large holes in it where the Festum tentacles had broken through. And the lift shaft to the system was also badly damaged.

"Yes, they made quite a mess in their eagerness to reach you," Fumihiko murmured in agreement beside him. "This means we'll have to repair the system again," he added with a sigh.

Soushi shot him a quick glance. "The pilots won't be able to have my assistance for a while." There was a slight pause. "Commander, what should I do in the meantime?"

Fumihiko shrugged. "There's nothing much else you can do, is there; except help out in CDC for a bit."

Soushi bristled slightly, and Fumihiko regretted his choice of words.

"Understood," the blond answered stoically, trying not to let his discomfort show. The pilots will be out there fighting for all our sakes, and now I can't even use the system to help them, he thought.

Fumihiko opened his mouth to say something to cheer him up, when suddenly his mobile phone started ringing. "Excuse me a second," he said, bringing the phone to his ear. "Hello, commander Fumihiko speaking."

"Commander, I just wanted to let you know that Shin has awoken from his coma, and he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of assimilation anymore," Chizuru's voice said to him.

"That's good news. Have you told Kouyou-kun yet?"

"Not yet, sir; Shin still seems a bit tired. I thought I'd wait until tomorrow when he'll be more rested."

"OK, good bye, Chizuru." Fumihiko switched off the phone and turned to Soushi. "Shin has woken up from his coma."

"Oh, that's good," Soushi answered distractedly, still gazing up at the damaged Siegfried System, the old feelings of helplessness starting to well up inside of him again.

"Come on, Soushi-kun, let's go home," Fumihiko said quickly when he noticed Soushi's depressed expression. "There's nothing more we can do here."

"Yes, nothing more I can do," Soushi whispered to himself.

And with that the two of them left the clean-up crew to their work.

* * *

Kazuki noticed Soushi's silence throughout dinner that night. But he decided not to question him about it until they were alone.

"Soushi, what's wrong?" Kazuki asked as Soushi slid into bed beside him.

"… Nothing's wrong."

"Yeah, I believe that," Kazuki said sarcastically. "Please tell me what's bothering you. How else can I try and help you?"

"You can't help me," Soushi replied bluntly. "You can't do anything about it – it's my problem."

"Soushi, what's wrong?" Kazuki persisted.

"The Siegfried System was damaged in the last battle, when the Festum tried to capture me again," Soushi answered. "That means I won't be able to help you in the upcoming battles. You'll all be out there fighting, and I'll be safe in CDC, because I can't do anything else to help."

"But it's not like you're deliberately doing nothing to help; you do help us with the Siegfried System," Kazuki said. "It's not your fault that the system was damaged."

"I want to help you all," Soushi continued sadly. "I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not a—"

"I wish that… I wish that I could pilot a Fafner. I've always felt guilty that I couldn't."

Kazuki flinched. He hated it when they talked about this and the guilt that gnawed at his heart when he thought about it. It's your fault he can't pilot, your fault that he feels so useless right now, his mind seemed to whisper.

"When I was younger, and I learnt about the Festum, and watched the others become Fafner pilots, I wanted to be one, too. Father always wanted me to become a pilot," Soushi said, his voice taking on a dreamy quality. "And then when I finally got the chance to pilot one, I couldn't take it – my eye hurt so much that I couldn't keep it open."

"Soushi, I'm sorry."

"I don't blame you for it, Kazuki. I told you that before," Soushi said, laying back in bed and rolling onto his side to face Kazuki. "But sometime I can't help but feel sad about it. And I wonder how things could have been."

"But, Soushi," Kazuki whispered after a few minutes. "If you had been able to pilot all those years ago, you probably would have been assimilated by now, and we never would have found each other."

"That's true," Soushi said, offering him a small smile. "I can't imagine my life without you."

Soushi leant forward and kissed him softly.

"Soushi…"

Soushi pulled back. "I've been thinking; maybe I can become a Fafner pilot after all."

"What?" Kazuki's eyes widened in shock. "Soushi, what are you up to?"

Soushi answered him with another kiss, and Kazuki sighed internally, knowing that his lover was just trying to distract him.

'I hope Soushi isn't planning anything too dangerous…'

* * *

"Shin has awoken from his coma."

Kouyou couldn't help but feel both happy and nervous when Chizuru said those words to him. Now he would have to talk to Shin again.

"Thank you for letting me know," said Kouyou. "I shall go and see him now."

"I think he'll be pleased to see you," Chizuru said with a grin.

"Me, too," Kouyou answered. And he meant it, too.

The woman's smile faltered slightly. "By the way, he's not in the medical centre anymore." Kouyou remained impassive, not letting his surprise show. "He's in one of the cells – for what he did to the core room."

"Ah, of course; I understand," Kouyou nodded, sounding almost upset by the news. "I should have guessed that… I hope the commander isn't being too hard on him. It wasn't his fault, you know."

"I think he's being kept there more for his own safety than for any punishment," Chizuru explained. "The commander was a bit worried that he might be in danger once the Festum return. You should go and see him. It'll cheer him up."

* * *

Shin sat in the little cell, his legs pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped around them, head buried against his knees, trying to make himself as small as possible.

He gave a shiver of fright, curling in on himself even more. "The humans will probably kill me for betraying them. That must be why they've locked me up in here."

"Shin."

The boy's head shot up at the sound of that voice. "Kouyou-sama!"

Kouyou regarded the boy's face; his cheeks were stained with tears and his forest-green eyes filled with terror. "Shin, I'm sorry—"

"Kouyou-sama, I'm sorry--!"

The pair blinked at each other as their words overlapped.

"I guess we're both rather predictable," Kouyou mused, kneeling down in front of Shin, resting his hands on the cell bars. "I'm sorry for what happened to you Shin."

Shin place his own shaking hands on the bars, letting their fingers brush. "It wasn't your fault. I'm the one that should be apologising. I've caused so much trouble…"

"If I had realised about your feelings sooner, and not just pushed you away, then the Festum would never have been able to take advantage of you."

"So, you're not mad at me? You don't hate me?"

"No I'm not. And no I don't," Kouyou said, slipping a hand through the bars and cupping the boy's cheek. "I forgive you, Shin."

Shin sighed in relief and nuzzled against Kouyou's hand. But his relief was short-lived. "It doesn't matter now anyway. I probably don't have that long to live – the humans will have me killed for being a traitor."

"Shin, the humans won't kill you. They understand what happened."

The fear faded from Shin's face, only to be replaced by confusion. "Then why am I in here?"

"To keep you safe until we've dealt with these new Festum," Kouyou said. "Though maybe I could convince the commander to release you from here and let you stay with me instead."

Shin felt himself blushing once again. "With you; as in, living with you?"

"Yes, that's right; in my room in Alvis. Since Mizoguchi-san now owns my old house, the commander gave me a room here." Kouyou raised an eyebrow in amusement at Shin's red face. "I take it that you're not opposed to the idea of sharing with me for a while?"

Shin looked at the floor, trying to hide his embarrassment. "No, no, I don't mind the idea at all."

"Good. I'll go and have a word with the commander about it," Kouyou said, rising to his feet. "I'll see you later, Shin."

"See you later, Kouyou."

Kouyou almost froze when he heard his name being spoken by Shin without the respectful honorific, and he found, much to his surprise, that he rather liked the sound of it.

* * *

Later that afternoon the Festum did return. Sakura looked up at the wailing of the siren, signalling their arrival.

"I hope I shall be strong enough to pilot a Fafner again soon," Sakura said softly. She sighed dejectedly and looked over to one of the nurses in her room. "Hey, do you mind if I go for a little walk around Alvis? It's better than staying cooped up in here all the time."

"OK, dear. But don't go outside – it's dangerous to do so while the Festum are attacking."

Well, duh, Sakura resisted the urge to say. She pulled back the bedcover and slowly stood up; her legs still felt rather weak; but the more walking she did, the sooner she'd heal.

She wandered down the hallways of Alvis, stopping to get a drink from one of the vending machines, and eventually finding herself in the staff lounge. She opened her drink as she collapsed down into one of the chairs, tired out from her exertions.

"Who'd have thought that walking for a few minutes could tire you out so much," Sakura commented, taking a long sip of her drink.

A quiet cough came off to Sakura's left, and she glanced around. She jumped when she saw Soushi also sitting in one of the chairs. "Oh, hello there, Soushi; what are you doing in here; shouldn't you be in the Siegfried System during a Festum attack?"

"Good afternoon, Kaname," Soushi greeted her politely. "The system was damaged during the last battle. I can't use it again until it's been repaired. And since I can't pilot a Fafner, I thought… I might as well sit in here until the others are finished."

Sakura smiled at him sympathetically. "I guess we're in the same boat, huh? I can't pilot a Fafner yet either. It makes you feel like a bit of a burden, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," Soushi agreed, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. He wasn't sure what to say to Sakura; he hardly ever spoke to anyone other than Kazuki. "So… how are you feeling?"

"Not so bad at the moment," Sakura replied. "I can walk around on my own now. It was hell being bedridden."

"I can imagine…"

"How are things with you and Kazuki?"

"Fine. It's nice living with him and his father. I haven't been a part of a real family for years. How about you and Kenji?"

"We're doing alright." Sakura looked thoughtful. "I suppose we'll be living together once I'm strong enough to return home, since he's been staying with my mother at our house…"

"Yeah, you will."

They sat silently, neither sure how to continue their awkward conversation.

"Soushi, do you think Kenji will be alright out there, fighting the Festum?" Sakura asked. "I know he's been fine up till now, but I still worry about him."

"He's a good pilot – a little hysterical at time – but a good pilot never-the-less. He'll probably be fine." Soushi found himself smiling despite his sombre mood. "We're in the same boat again."

"What do you mean?"

"We worry unnecessarily about the ones we love," Soushi answered. "And now I can't even help him when he's in danger."

"I'm sure you'll be back in the Siegfried System before you know it, Soushi."

"Maybe…"

"So are you looking forward to our upcoming picnic?" asked Sakura.

"Yes; it'll be nice to have a day off from the Festum and fighting, and just relax for a change."

"I couldn't agree more," Sakura said. The all-clear siren suddenly started sounding, signalling that the Festum had been defeated. "That was quick. Come on, Soushi; let's go and welcome our boys home."

* * *

Kazuki clambered awkwardly out of his Fafner's cockpit; the battle hadn't been too difficult - especially now that they knew these Festum's weak spot – but it had been incredibly strange not to have Soushi by his side in the Siegfried System.

The only times he'd been without Soushi during a battle had been that time he'd left to explore beyond the island… and that time when Soushi had been kidnapped by the Festum.

At least this time he knew Soushi had been safely on the island during the battle.

"Kazuki."

Kazuki's face lit up when he saw Soushi striding towards him. "Soushi! This is the second time you've come to greet me recently. I could get used to this."

Soushi flung his arms around Kazuki's waist and hugged him tightly. "Welcome back. I missed you," Soushi whispered against his neck.

Kazuki chuckled and returned the hug. "I was only gone for an hour."

"Yes, but I couldn't be with you this time, so I couldn't be sure that you were safe unless I came here and looked for myself."

"You don't have to worry about me, Soushi. I'll never get hurt, knowing that I have you to come home to."

"Yes, well," Soushi started, noticing Sakura embracing Kenji out of the corner of his eye, "as I was saying to Kaname – we both can't help but worry about the ones we love."

"When were you talking to Sakura?" Kazuki asked.

"While you were fighting - she kept me company," Soushi said. "She and I found out that we have some common ground. Now come on, let's go home."

"OK," Kazuki nodded. "Oh, but I have to go and get changed first."

Soushi ran his eyes up and down Kazuki's flight-suit clad form. "Alright - I'll come with you. You know… you should wear the flight-suit more often; when we're… alone together."

Kazuki grinned at him slyly. "Oh, you like the flight-suit, do you?" he asked teasingly. "Well, I'll see what I can do."

Maya watched from a distance as the pair of them wandered off towards the locker room. She couldn't help but feel a bit jealous; not just of Soushi, but of Sakura too. "Looks like we're the only ones with no-one to welcome us home, eh, Canon?" she commented to the other red-head.

"It would appear so."

"Hey, do you want to come over to my house tonight?" Maya asked her. "I've got babysitting duty again, and I could use the company."

"Ok, I'd like that," Canon answered.

* * *

Night was beginning to approach as Shin rested sleepily against the wall of his cell. A shadow fell upon him and he looked up, smiling faintly when he saw Kouyou standing there. "Kouyou… you're back," he mumbled, yawning as he got to his feet.

"I'm sorry I woke you, but I had a word with the commander and he agreed to let me keep an eye on you in my room – you can think of it as a kin of house arrest." Kouyou swiped his ID card in the lock, and the cell door opened. "Actually you are allowed outside my room, but you shouldn't leave Alvis by yourself until we've dealt with these new Festum."

"I understand," Shin said, stifling another yawn. "So are we going to your room right now?"

"Yes," Kouyou nodded. He couldn't help but smile – the younger boy looked like he was about to fall asleep on his feet. "Let me help you, Shin."

"What do you—Ah! What are you doing?!" Shin yelped in alarm as Kouyou suddenly lifted him into his arms.

"I'm helping you," Kouyou answered simply. "You are tired, scared, and probably haven't fully recovered from your assimilation ordeal. So I am going to carry you the rest of the way. Is that a problem?"

"—No, that's ok!" Shin answered in a squeaky voice, pressing his face against Kouyou's long hair, to conceal how much he was blushing.

Luckily for Shin, the journey was a short one. But he flushed with embarrassment at the looks a few Alvis workers gave them as he and Kouyou strode passed.

Kouyou's room was pretty much identical to the room that Soushi – and most of the other Alvis staff – had once lived in.

Shin felt almost disappointed when Kouyou set him down upon the bed; he'd rather liked being in the older boy's arms.

"You should go to sleep now," Kouyou advised, turning back towards the door. "You need your rest."

"You're not staying?" Shin asked sadly.

"I'll be back later. I have some things that I need to do first."

"Oh… Um, Kouyou, I heard from the others that you were really worried about me before," Shin started, fiddling nervously with the bedcover. "Is—is that true?"

Shin glanced up at the sound of footsteps on the metal floor, and saw Kouyou kneeling in front of him.

"Yes, it's true. I was very worried about you. I didn't want you to be hurt."

Shin smiled and reached out to touch Kouyou's face. "I do, you know. I do… love you, Kouyou."

Kouyou's red eyes widened a fraction. "And I think that I might love you too, Shin."

* * *

Kazuki sat on the beach, staring out across the darkened ocean, lost in thought. The sun had set not long ago, leaving the land in the care of the stars and moon.

Kazuki knew that he should be heading home by now, and that his father and Soushi would be waiting for him. But he couldn't help but sit there and ponder over Soushi's earlier words.

_Soushi sat back on the bench in the locker room, watching with interest as Kazuki changed out of his flight-suit and back into his everyday clothes. "Kazuki, do you remember the other day, when I said that I wanted to pilot a Fafner, and that maybe there was a way that I could?"_

_Kazuki looked over at him sharply. "Yes… what about it?" he asked uncertainly. _

"_Well, I was thinking that as my body was 'remade' as it were, by the north-pole Festum, then maybe I can pilot a Fafner, seeing as this body never suffered an eye injury, and the scar is purely for show." _

Kazuki had excused himself at that point, telling Soushi that he wanted to go for a walk by himself, and that he would be home later.

"What Soushi said is probably true… maybe he can still pilot a Fafner," Kazuki whispered to himself. "… I don't want him to. I know it's selfish of me, but I really don't want him to."

Kazuki sighed deeply and got to his feet, brushing the sand from his clothes. There was no point in sitting there brooding anymore.

When Kazuki arrived home he was greeted by the pleasant scent of cooking food, wafting out from the kitchen. "I'm home," he called, closing the front door behind him. "What's that smell?"

Soushi's head poked out from around the kitchen door. "Welcome home, Kazuki – since you were gone for so long, we decided to cook dinner."

"Or at least, we heated up a ready meal in the microwave," Fumihiko added, appearing in the kitchen doorway with three plates in his hands. "So at least you know it'll be vaguely edible."

Kazuki nodded silently as he took off his coat and sat down on the sofa. Soushi frowned at him in concern. "Kazuki, are you ok; now that you you've had a chance to think over things by yourself?"

"… Yeah, I'm ok."

Soushi wasn't convinced, but didn't bother pursing the matter any longer. At that moment the buzzer on the microwave went off. "Oh, the foods ready. You two sit down at the table while I go and get it."

The two of them did as they were told.

"Hey, dad," Kazuki started, shifting in his seat. "Did Soushi tell you about… what he was discussing with me earlier?"

"You mean about him wanting to try and pilot a Fafner again? Yes, he told me," Fumihiko answered.

"And..?" Kazuki prompted.

"And what? He does have a point – maybe he can still pilot a Fafner. If he wants to give it another try, I don't see why I should try and stop him."

"Yeah, I know… but I can't help but worry about the idea."

"Well, if you didn't worry about me at all I'd feel a little hurt. But you do go kind of overboard, Kazuki," Soushi's voice cut in. He placed the food down in front of them and then sat down beside Kazuki. "I just want to have one more try at it. If I still can't handle piloting Fafner, that's fine. But I just want to have one last try."

"I agree," nodded Fumihiko. "But since it's been quite a few years since you've been in a Fafner, I'd like you to have a few sessions in the simulation first. We'll try and set up something for tomorrow if you'd like."

"That'd be great," said Soushi.

Kazuki forced back another worried sigh, and started on his meal. He just hoped Soushi would be ok.

* * *

As they lay in bed that night, Soushi turned to Kazuki. "I know you're still upset about the whole piloting thing – I can tell."

"I'm sorry, Soushi," Kazuki whispered into the darkened room, rolling over onto his side so that he could see Soushi's face. "It's just that every time I think of you in a Fafner, out there amongst the Festum… I see the faces of all those who died in battle against them. And I see the Siegfried System blowing up before my eyes. And I see you, covered in assimilation crystals, fading away… I really don't think I could take it if you left me again. It's bad enough that these new Festum seem to be after you; but now you want to go out there and fight them, too…"

Soushi felt his heart clench tightly at the look on Kazuki's face. "Oh Kazuki, I'm so sorry for making you feel like this again. All I seem to do is cause you grief," Soushi murmured mournfully, cradling Kazuki's head against his chest. "I worry about you too, when you're off fighting in the Fafner. And so I thought that I'd like to fight beside you, too."

"I know. You don't have to apologise," Kazuki insisted, nuzzling his face sleepily against Soushi's warm skin. "I should stop treating you like some delicate, fragile creature. But I feel like it's my duty to protect you; especially now that you have no family left to turn to. Sometimes I forget that you're the one that knew about the Festum from the start… that all through our childhood you were keeping it a secret. You were protecting us from the Festum all along. The first time I piloted a Fafner I didn't have a clue what I was getting into; I don't think I could have survived without your guidance. You're so much stronger than you look. I need to remember that, too."

Soushi smiled to himself in amusement at Kazuki's words. "That's right: I'm not just a pretty face," he chuckled. "If the Festum don't attack tomorrow, you should come and watch me train – it might put your mind at ease a little."

"Yes, I think I will."

* * *

"Shin... Shin, wake up."

The even, gentle voice echoed though Shin's mind, pulling him free of sleep's grip. He moaned quietly as his eyelids slowly fluttered open, and he gazed up at the tall figure above him.

"Kouyou, you're back. Where did you go? What have you been doing?" the younger boy inquired.

"I'll tell you in a moment."

Shin watched as Kouyou started to get ready for bed. He blushed and turned away modestly as the brunette took off his Alvis uniform and put on a long nightshirt. He felt his heart skip a beat as Kouyou pulled back the bedcover and slid in beside him.

"Kouyou…?" Shin whispered breathily, trying his best to appear calm.

Kouyou smiled at him gently. "It's ok now, Shin. Everything has been taken care of."

"What do you mean?"

"I did what I needed to do – I became the island's core."

Shin gaped at him in shock, feeling panic rush through him. "What?!" he gasped, grabbing hold of Kouyou's arm reflexively. "B-but you said before that you wouldn't leave me!"

"Am I not still here, Shin?"

"… Yes. But how can you be here and still be the core?"

"The previous core used to do something similar – her body would stay in the core tube, and she would project a hologram of herself in other parts of the island. I am kind of doing the opposite; the holographic me is in the core tube right now, and the real me is here," Kouyou explained. "Tsubaki eventually became strong enough to leave the core tube completely, while still controlling the running of the island. Until I've gotten used to being the core, I won't be able to stray too far from the core tube; I'll probably have to stay inside Alvis for a while too, like you."

The fear visibly melted from Shin's face. "So you're not leaving me after all?"

"That's right. I'm staying right here," Kouyou said. "And Tatsumiya's defence systems are up and running again, so the others will be pleased too."

"That's-ah," Shin yawned widely. "um, good."

Kouyou smiled fondly and wrapped his arm around Shin's shoulder, pulling him into a warm embrace. "Get some rest now, Shin."

"… Don't I get a good night kiss first?" asked a surprisingly bold Shin.

"As you wish."

Kouyou tilted Shin's chin up and pressed their mouths together. Shin sighed softly at least long awaited kiss, wrapping his arm around Kouyou's neck and returning the kiss eagerly.

Shin found himself thinking back to a time a few months ago, when he'd still been in the core tube, when he'd first met Kazuki in the core room.

"_Do you know who I am?"_

"_You're called Shin, aren't you?"_

"_Yes, that is what they call me. But everyone else has a last name; a family. They belong somewhere. Even the old core had that. So why don't I?"_

"_I- I don't know."_

"_That's the problem; neither do I. Am I just an experiment created by the Mir? I want to find out why I'm here." _

I think I understand now, the purpose of my existence, where I belong, Shin thought to himself. I think I was born to meet you, Kouyou… you are where I belong.

* * *

The end... until the next chapter. See you then everyone.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Fafner, Xebec does. I own the character of Shin though.

Authors note: I've finally added a new chapter. And it's my longest one yet, so hopefully it'll be worth the wait. There's another KazuSou lemon scene in this chapter, so I've decided to raise the age rating.

And also... only one week until Fafner Day! (formally known as Christmas day - but the Fafner sequel is much more interesting than that). I can't wait to watch the sequel. Hopefully Kazuki and Soushi will be reunited and have a happy ending together.

I hope you guys enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

PART TEN: LOVE – JEALOUSY

The bright morning sunlight streamed into Kazuki and Soushi's small bedroom, lighting it up despite the dark curtains. Kazuki moaned in annoyance and rolled away from the window, his eyes tightly closed, and yanked the bedcover up over his face.

"... Kazuki, hiding won't make the sun go away," came Soushi's sleepy voice. "It's gone 9am anyway. I have to have breakfast and get ready for my pilot training."

'_Oh, right; that's happening today, isn't it?_' Kazuki thought to himself as he watched Soushi sit up and stretch leisurely.

"You're right," Kazuki sighed. Accepting defeat, he sat up too. He leaned over and kissed Soushi on the cheek. "Good morning, Soushi."

Soushi smiled at him and returned the favour. "Good morning, Kazuki. Are you still planning on coming to my training session?"

"Of course I am."

"Even though it means missing school for today?"

"Soushi - if I did go to school today, I'd be too distracted wondering about how you were getting on to concentrate on my work anyway," Kazuki answered him.

"Ah, good point," murmured Soushi, running the brush through his long hair methodically.

"I'll go and start on breakfast," Kazuki said.

* * *

As part of his new duties as the island's core Kouyou had taken it upon himself to do a brief tour of Alvis every morning, to make sure everything was in order.

He came to a halt as he walked through the docking bay, noticing that Kazuki was sitting on one of the benches, writing something down on a pad of paper.

"Good morning, Kazuki," Kouyou greeted as he strolled over and sat down beside him. "I'm surprised to see you here on a school day. What are you doing?"

Kazuki glanced up from his writing. "Oh, hello Kouyou; Soushi's got it into his head that he has to try piloting a Fafner again, so I'm here to watch his training."

"Soushi is going to pilot a Fafner?" Kouyou echoed. "But I thought he was unable to do so properly?"

"Yes, but since the Festum 'rebuilt' his body, and his scar is now just for show he thought that he might be able to pilot after all," Kazuki explained, frowning at the thought of it, still clearly not happy.

"His scar was the only reason he couldn't pilot? I find that highly unlikely."

"Huh? What do you mean by—"

"What is that?" Kouyou cut in, pointing to the notebook in Kazuki's hand.

"Oh, this? It's a list of things I'll need to buy for our picnic. I was thinking of having it on Saturday. That should give me enough time to get everything ready," Kazuki said. "Are you and Shin coming? Seeing as you two are part of the 'gang' as it were."

"I guess we are, aren't we?" Kouyou murmured thoughtfully. "We may not be able to join you though, I'm afraid."

Kazuki looked surprised. "Why not?"

"It's… complicated. Shin and I can't leave Alvis for a while."

"How come? And what did you mean just now about Soushi's scar?"

"Well—"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Soushi, as he stepped out from the pilots' changing room that adjoined the landing bay.

"Kazuki, I'm ready," the blond announced. "Oh, I didn't see you there Kouyou. Hello."

Kazuki stared in wide-eyed shock at his boyfriend, and even Kouyou looked slightly taken-aback. Kazuki had forgotten about the one positive aspect of this whole piloting business: he'd get to see Soushi in the synergetic suit.

And see him he did. The purple and yellow flight-suit clung to Soushi's slim form like a second skin.

Kazuki swallowed weakly, his throat suddenly going dry – Soushi looked delicious. His fingers itched to touch him and he had to resist the urge to just grab a hold of Soushi and start ravaging him there and then in front of the rest of the Alvis personnel.

"That outfit is very becoming on you, Soushi," Kouyou commented, letting his eyes rove up and down Soushi's body curiously.

Soushi smiled bashfully. "Um, thank you, Kouyou," he said, sounding somewhat embarrassed. He glanced at Kazuki pointedly. "Now do you see why I like the flight-suit so much?"

"Oh, yes, definitely," Kazuki stammered in agreement once he'd got his voice working again.

"I'm going to the flight simulator now. Are you coming?" Soushi asked.

"Huh? Oh, right, of course," Kazuki nodded. "I've just got to, um…" he looked around for his pen and pad, which he'd dropped on the floor in surprise.

Soushi chuckled quietly. "I'll go on ahead."

"Ok, see you in a minute."

Kazuki shot Kouyou an annoyed look when he noticed that the brunette was still staring after Soushi as he walked away. "Hey, stop looking at him like that. Aren't you going out with that boy, Shin?"

"Yes I am. And I also have working eyes, Kazuki. Soushi is very attractive – I'm sure I won't be the only one who stares at him in that outfit," Kouyou said matter-of-factly.

Kazuki continued to glower at him. "How come you're even dating that Shin boy anyway? I always thought that you liked girls. Toomi told me once that you were in love with Shouko."

Kouyou flinched at the mention of the girl's name. His normally indifferent face turned somewhat incredulous. "Toomi told you? Couldn't you work it out for yourself? Well, you always were rather dense… I like boys and girls, Kazuki. I've always considered myself to be bisexual, to answer your question."

"Oh, I see," Kazuki said, feeling a bit miffed at the way Kouyou so casually insulted him. But there was no use starting an argument about it; Soushi was waiting for him. "Well, I'd better be off now then. See you later."

* * *

By the time Kazuki arrived, Soushi was just about to enter the flight-simulator.

"Now remember to stay calm and relaxed, Minashiro-kun, and allow yourself to unite with the Fafner," Hazama said, giving Soushi some last minute advice.

"Understood," Soushi nodded, leaning back into his seat. Glancing past Hazama, he saw Kazuki, and smiled in relief. "Kazuki, you made it. What took you so long?"

"Sorry about that - I was talking to Kouyou," Kazuki explained. "Good luck with your training, Soushi."

"Thank you," said Soushi, feeling nerves overcome him as the cockpit doors closed and he was swamped in darkness.

"We'll be starting the simulation in a moment, Minashiro-kun," Hazama's voice came over the radio.

"OK," Soushi answered. Soon enough the familiar flickering green energy field that he'd seen so many times from the Siegfried system surrounded him.

'How _many years has it been since I was last in a Fafner?_' Soushi wondered to himself. '... _maybe I can finally be really useful to the island._'

"Loading up the holographic battle field and Festum. We'll take it slow for now, Minashiro-kun. Just use the rail gun and try taking a few shots at the Festum."

"Understood."

_'It would be pretty ironic, if now that I've got my chance to be a pilot again, I end up being a really bad pilot_,' Soushi thought in mild amusement.

"Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?"

Soushi jumped at the sound of the Festum's voice, spinning his Fafner around and firing the rail gun - the holographic Festum burst into pieces.

Hazama, who was watching the simulator over the monitor, blinked in surprise. _'That was fast_.' "Um, OK, Minashiro-kun, in the following exercise we'll be loading one Festum at a time; your mission is to locate and destroy each one. Some may be harder to find than others."

"Understood."

"Anata wa soko ni-" the Festum didn't even get the chance to finish before Soushi fired. It went on like this with each new Festum that appeared.

"I don't understand it. How is he doing it...?" Hazama trailed off, eyeing the battle monitor in disbelief.

Kazuki, who was sitting in a chair beside her, going over his list of picnic items, glanced up at her words. "How is Soushi doing, Hazama-sensei?"

"He's doing well - amazing well, in fact," Hazama replied, sounding like she couldn't quite believe it. "He's had 100% hit rate. Not a single shot missed. But that's not the strangest part. It's almost like he seems to know where the Festum is going to be a second or two before it appears. And I don't know how he's doing it. He seems to be a naturally good pilot."

Kazuki turned back to his list wordlessly. He couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed; he's kind of been hoping that Soushi would turn out to be a terrible pilot.

"In fact, maybe he's a little too good," Hazama added, running her eyes over one of the battle monitors.

"What do you mean by 'too good'?"

"Well, it's just-" Hazama paused. "Um, Kazuki-kun, has anyone ever told you anything about synergetic codes before?"

"Er, well, Soushi mentioned them a little once. I don't really remember it that well," Kazuki admitted. "It was something to do with each of us having a code that determines how good a pilot we are."

"Yes. There's the 'golden ratio' which is the synergetic code of the Festum. The closer your code is to the golden ratio, the better you'll be at piloting a Fafner," Hazama said. She smiled at Kazuki. "Obviously as our best pilot, you can guess that your synergetic code is pretty close to the golden ratio. Well, from the data that I'm getting here... it seems that Minashiro-kun's is closer."

"Huh?"

"His synergetic code, it's even closer to the golden ratio than yours. He should be a brilliant pilot because of this. I'm surprised nobody has ever mentioned it before. Surely his father must have known about it?" Chizuru turned back to the monitor, and continued in a more serious tone. "However, there is a downside to this: the closer to the golden ratio you are, the more likely you are to suffer from assimilation. Maybe this is another reason why Minashiro-kun had problems piloting in the past?"

Kazuki thought back to what Kouyou had said to him earlier: "His scar was the only reason he couldn't pilot? I find that hard to believe."

_'Is this what Kouyou meant?_' Kazuki wondered. _'Could he have somehow known about Soushi's synergetic code?'_

"OK, Minashiro-kun, that's enough for now. We'll have another training session this afternoon," Hazama said to Soushi over the radio.

"Understood," answered Soushi.

A few seconds later the cockpit doors slid open, revealing a rather tired out looking Soushi.

"How are you feeling?" Kazuki asked, getting up from his seat to give Soushi a hand.

"A little worn out and light-headed, but otherwise I think I'm OK." Soushi looked over at Hazama expectantly. "So, how did I do, Hazama-sensei?"

"You did... very well, for a beginner," Hazama replied slowly. "Very well indeed."

"Will I be able to have a go at piloting a real Fafner soon then?"

"Ah, well, you should probably have another few sessions in the flight simulator first. And I have a few things that I need to discuss with commander Makabe before you get in a real Fafner."

"What kind of 'things' are those?" Soushi asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"They're things that you shouldn't concern yourself with right now," Hazama said quickly, shooting Kazuki a look that clearly told him to keep his mouth shut about what they'd just been discussing.

"Hey, Soushi, you must be feeling pretty hungry by now - let's go and have some lunch, shall we?" Kazuki suggested, taking hold of Soushi's arm.

Soushi allowed himself to be led away, but still looking annoyed. "Don't try and change the subject. You know what 'things' she was referring to, don't you, Kazuki?"

"She was just a little concerned about the way you acted in the flight simulator," Kazuki started, not wanting to keep secrets from Soushi, but not sure how much to give away. "She said you seemed to be able to tell where the Festum were going to appear before they actually appeared."

"Is that all?" Soushi asked. "I just heard their voices talking to me, and so I aimed in the direction that they were coming from."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have been able to do that." Kazuki stopped in his tracks, noticing that they'd already reached the doors to the Alvis cafe. He glanced over at Soushi pointedly. "Um, are you going to wear the flight-suit during lunch?"

"Huh?" Soushi glanced down at himself. "Damn it. I'd forgotten I was still wearing this. I guess there's no point getting changed now, since I've got another training session after lunch."

Kazuki crossed his arms and frowned. "You're going to be attracting attention again."

"Again?" Soushi echoed. "Oh, I suppose you noticed that a couple of the mechanics were staring at me earlier on?"

"Eh? When was that?" Kazuki exclaimed, looking even more annoyed.

Soushi rolled his eyes at his reaction. "Never mind. If that's not what you meant, then what were you talking about?"

"Kouyou," Kazuki stated simply, a glower on his face. "He said that he thought you were 'very attractive' and that he wouldn't be the only one to stare at you while you were wearing your flight-suit."

"Oh, well, he was right about that then, wasn't he?" Soushi smirked as Kazuki glowered all the more. "I didn't realise you got jealous so easily, Kazuki. It's quite amusing."

"I am not jealous!"

"Yeah, of course you're not," Soushi murmured, grabbing Kazuki's hand and dragging him through the cafe doors. "Now come on, stop pouting, and let's get some food."

As they entered the cafe Kazuki almost groaned out loud at his bad luck as he caught sight of the last person in the world he wanted to see at that moment.

"Oh, hello again, Kazuki, Soushi."

Kazuki tried not to let his annoyance show. "Hello, Kouyou."

"Good afternoon, Kouyou. Are you here for some lunch, too?" Soushi asked cheerfully.

It didn't help Kazuki's mood that Soushi seemed thoroughly amused by Kazuki's jealousy.

"Yes, that's right." Kouyou took in Soushi's attire. "I presume you're going to be doing some more pilot training later on… unless you've just become so fond of the flight-suit that you've decided to wear it all the time. That would certainly cause a stir."

Soushi laughed softly at Kouyou's words, and Kazuki resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This just wasn't turning out to be his day at all.

Soushi continued to smirk to himself in amusement as the three of them found a table and started on their meals.

* * *

After a rather eventful lunch, that included many glares across the table at Kouyou from Kazuki, Kouyou returned to his room. He opened the door, finding the room to be oddly silent.

"Shin?" Kouyou called, wondering if the boy could be sleeping. He glanced over at the bed - no Shin.

After taking a quick look in the bathroom, and still finding no sign of Shin, Kouyou sat down upon his bed, feeling puzzled. "Where could he have gone?"

Fumihiko glanced up at the sound of a soft knocking at his office door. "Come in," he called. The door opened to reveal a rather nervous looking Shin. "Oh, good afternoon, Shin. What can I do for you?"

"Um, I- I just wanted to talk to you about some things, that's all," Shin mumbled, bowing his head shyly.

"OK. Take a seat," said Fumihiko. Shin did as he was told, fidgeting nervously with his hands and refusing to meet Fumihiko's eyes. "You don't have to be so worried, Shin. I won't bite you. We haven't had much of a chance to talk face to face since you left the core tube."

"Yeah, well, a lot as happened since then. That's partly what I wanted to talk to you about. I... I wanted to apologise for all the trouble I've caused. I don't know how you can all just forgive me so easily. I, I just-"

"Shin, stop," Fumihiko cut the boy off. "Shin, you'd been assimilated by the Festum, you weren't in complete control of your actions. I understand this - everyone understands this."

"But I'm sure I could have fought harder against their influence," Shin argued, seeming determined to blame himself for everything. "I- I sometimes think it would have been better if I'd simply stayed in the core tube and let the Mir keep accelerating my age until I died. Since I was released I've caused nothing but trouble - I broke the core tube, led the Festum to Soushi and let him get injured, let them break the Siegfried System... I don't deserve to remain here."

"I'm sure that Kenji and Sakura would disagree with you," Fumihiko said. "You gave her back the chance to walk. I think she's extremely grateful to you. Don't you consider that a positive thing that you've done?"

Shin looked completely taken-aback. His mouth hung open for a second as he struggled to form a response. "I- I- I hadn't really considered that to be honest. But, even so, I still-"

"Of course you hadn't - you're only focusing on the negative side and your own guilt. Kind of like my son..." Fumihiko added the last part to himself with a sigh. "You can't deny that you've done some good here; no matter how much you keep trying to put yourself down."

"I suppose so..."

"I think you've helped Kouyou come out f his shell too, and embrace his human side." Fumhiko smiled at the flush that rapidly covered Shin's face. "And I'm also curious about something: am I right in guessing that you and Kouyou are a couple now?"

Shin's blush deepened, and he nodded. "Yes, we are."

"I'm glad. Kouyou deserves a little happiness after all he's been through. It's nice to see that he's found someone who cares for him so much."

"Thank you," Shin mumbled, looking quite embarrassed.

"So, what else did you want to talk to me about?" asked Fumihiko.

"Huh? Oh! Right, um... well, you know that Kazuki is organising a picnic for him and the other Fafner pilots?"

"Yes, I've heard about it." Fumihiko smirked at his words. He'd heard his son complaining about having to do all the cooking himself - but he knew that Kazuki enjoyed it really, and wouldn't let anybody else set foot in his precious kitchen.

"Kazuki invited Kouyou and I along, but Kouyou said we'd probably not be able to make it - because as the Core he has to stay inside Alvis for the time being, and because of my, um, house arrest."

"More like 'protective custody'."

"Um, yes. Well, I was wondering if you'd consider letting us leave Alvis for that day," Shiny said, seeming a little nervous about asking for a favour. "I think that Kouyou wanted to go, but, well..."

"Say no more about it. You have my permission to attend the group picnic," Fumihiko said. "It would be good for the two of you to spend some time with the others. As I said to Soushi-kun before out day out at the beach last year - you should treasure the time you have with your friends. I'm sure we'll be able to manage without the two of you for one day."

Shin's expression brightened considerably. "Thank you, commander. I'll let Kouyou know about it as soon as I can."

The sound of knocking on the door made them both glance up. "Come in," Fumihiko called.

The door opened to reveal a worried looking Kouyou. His worry soon turned to relief when he saw Shin sitting there. "There you are, Shin. I was looking everywhere for you. You weren't in our room when I returned from lunch earlier."

Shin smiled at him apologetically. "Sorry, Kouyou, I didn't mean to worry you. I just had to talk to commander Fumihiko about something."

"Oh?" Kouyou looked at Fumihiko questioningly.

"He wanted my permission for the two of you to go on the group picnic on Saturday."

Shin rose from his chair, peering shyly up into Kouyou's surprised looking face. "When you told me about the picnic earlier I kind of got the impression that you did want to go... I hope you don't mind that I asked the commander about it."

"I don't mind at all," Kouyou said, smiling at him affectionately, before reaching down and taking hold of his hand. "We'll be going now, commander. Sorry for taking up so much of your time."

"Oh, that's alright. You can come and talk to me anytime," Fumihiko replied, almost chuckling as Kouyou dragged his flustered looking boyfriend through the doorway. His thoughts drifted as he turned back to his dreaded paperwork; it really was nice that Kouyou had found a little peace and happiness for himself.

"If only things could remain as peaceful for the whole island. But somehow I don't think that will happen any time soon."

* * *

Soushi's eyelids slowly slid open. He blinked and looked around in confusion. "Where am I?" he whispered, a cold feeling of dread settling over him.

The strange, alien-looking world was as dark as night, seeming to stretch out endlessly before him, and the sky above was filled with odd fiery-coloured clouds.

A shiver ran down his spine. "This place seems familiar… I don't like it."

There was a quiet rustling sound coming from behind him; almost like a snake. Soushi looked around cautiously. "Is someone there?" There was a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye, and he tensed in fear. "… Festum?"

The rustling sound grew louder, and suddenly a bright golden Festum tentacle burst out from the ground beside him. Soushi gave a cry of alarm, stumbling to his knees as the tentacle reached out to him.

"Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?"

"No! S-stay away from me!" Soushi shrieked, backing away hastily, fear suddenly gripping him. He turned on his heels and started to run as fast as he could away from the Festum.

"I remember this place…"

Memories of black landscapes, golden tentacles and bright green crystals flashed through Soushi's mind as he ran.

"Stop it! I don't want to remember that!"

Unexpectedly Soushi slammed into a hard surface, throwing him to the ground. He looked up. "There's nothing there… an invisible wall?"

"Minashiro Soushi. You can't run anymore," a cold emotionless voice said to him.

Soushi looked up weakly, and saw that blond Festum staring down at him.

"You," Soushi murmured. "Festum… Idun."

"You remember our name, child of Alvis? You remember… being assimilated by us?"

Soushi closed his eyes, trying to block out the world. "No, I don't! I don't want to remember."

"But you do remember anyway. Your body was trapped. It was all in your mind. And so you…" the Festum's expressionless face twisted into a smirk. "… you had no where left to hide. Such an interesting way the human mind perceives assimilation…"

More golden tentacles burst from the floor and the invisible wall, wrapping themselves around Soushi's trembling body, holding him firmly in place.

"Let me go!" Soushi cried out, struggling futilely against his binds. "Please… let me go."

The Festum moved in closer, running one hand along Soushi's face, across his scar, while the other trailed down the soft and suddenly bare skin of his chest.

"Are you scared, child of Alvis?" the Festum whispered in his ear. "It is only a memory, surely that can not harm you?"

"Don't touch me! Get away from me! This isn't real!"

"Hmm, that's right, it isn't," the Festum agreed, moving around behind the blond. It nuzzled at Soushi's face, licking at the trails of tears that were gathering there. "We wonder… could you handle the assimilation, if it were to happen again?"

Soushi let his head droop, trying desperately to ignore the Festum. "Let me go. Please let me go," he begged in a broken tone. "I don't want to remember this…"

* * *

"No, no… please stop…"

The soft voice, louder in the silence of their bedroom, pulled Kazuki from his sleep. He blinked tiredly, glancing over at the boy beside him. "Soushi?" he whispered questioningly.

Soushi shuddered, a quiet sob escaping his throat. "No, don't…"

Kazuki sat up hastily. '_Is Soushi crying?_' He looked down at him in concern. "Soushi, what's wrong?"

The blond didn't respond, and just kept murmuring quietly to himself. Kazuki realised then that Soushi was still asleep.

'_Is Soushi having a nightmare_?' Kazuki thought to himself. '_Should I wake him up?'_

"No, don't touch me," Soushi whimpered, curling in on himself, clutching tightly at the bedcover. "K-kazuki… help me…"

Kazuki's eyes widened at this, and he leaned over, gently shaking Soushi's shoulder. "Hey, Soushi, Soushi, wake up. Wake up."

Soushi jumped at Kazuki's touch, letting out a gasp as his eyes snapped open and he woke up. He bit down on his lip to hold back a scream, eyes flitting around the room until they came to rest on Kazuki. "Kazuki? It's really you?"

"Yes, it's really me. Were you having a bad dream?"

Kazuki's words made Soushi shudder in response, fear covering his face as he started to sob again.

Kazuki frowned anxiously as he suddenly found his arms full of a crying Soushi. He wrapped his arms around him comfortingly. "Shh, shh, it's ok now," he murmured. Soushi's cries were so loud that for a second Kazuki feared that his father might wake up and come in to see what all the noise was about.

"It's alright, Soushi," Kazuki continued, rubbing at Soushi's back in slow circles. "It was only a dream. You're alright now."

Kazuki could feel Soushi shaking his head against his chest, and his heart clenched as Soushi looked up at him tearfully. "No, no, it—it wasn't just a dream. It was… a memory."

"A memory… What are you talking about?"

"It was a memory of when I was with the Festum… when I was assimilated by them."

"Do you mean the time after we tried to rescue you from the north-pole? You remember what happened to you during your time with the Festum, before you returned to the island?" Kazuki asked.

"No, I mean the time when that Festum-controlled Fafner came to the island and captured me and the Siegfried System… when you thought I was dead," Soushi explained quietly. "While I was waiting for you to come and save me, the Festum assimilated me. They… they became one with me…"

Kazuki watched sombrely as Soushi trailed off and started to sob quietly to himself again, feeling slightly confused by his words. And then suddenly he remembered what that blond Festum had said to him before, during one of their battles against the new Festum…

"_You don't like us, do you? Especially not the form we are in now; we took away the one who was important to you. We enjoyed his company. We learnt many things from him. We... explored him."_

_"We learned about hatred, pain and anger from the other humans we joined with, and so we showed these emotions to the Siegfried System controller when we became one with him - he didn't like it. He cried and begged for us to stop - but we didn't. We enjoyed it. We would like to feel the crossing again..." _

Kazuki's eyes widened in horrified realisation; understanding at last what that Festum had meant back then. He swallowed weakly, looking down at his tearful lover, who was still shaking fearfully in his arms. "Soushi," he started, struggling to find the right words. "Soushi, did the Festum… did they… rape you?"

Soushi's shaking ceased at his words. "… yes. In a way."

Kazuki felt anger starting to well up inside him. "What do you mean 'in a way'? Either they did or they didn't!"

"As my body was being assimilated, my mind couldn't comprehend it in any other way than, well, sex – becoming one the way that humans do. And so to me, it was like I was being raped." Soushi lowered his gaze, fighting back another shudder. It was painful to remember such things, but for some reason talking about it out loud eased his mind a little. "It hurt so much at the time… But, I wonder why I suddenly remembered about it; was it because I piloted a Fafner again?"

"Soushi, if that is the reason why you've remembered about it... then please don't pilot a Fafner again," Kazuki begged suddenly.

"Huh? Kazuki, what are you-"

"Please, Soushi, I'm serious. I know that you're feeling inadequate right now, and you feel that you have to force yourself to be a pilot... But you shouldn't feel that way," Kazuki said. "If it's going to cause things like this to happen, then it isn't worth it."

"Kazuki, I don't want to give up piloting just because of this. It's stupid of me to get so worked up over it anyway; it was all just in my mind after all."

Kazuki looked at Soushi indignantly. "Of course it's not stupid. It doesn't matter if it was real or not - to you it felt real. You have every right to feel upset."

Soushi opened his mouth to retort - but Kazuki got there first. "And also... when those new Festum were casting their illusions on us, that blond Festum who kidnapped you appeared to me. It told me a little about what happened when they kidnapped you. The way it talked, I wondered if they'd done something like 'that' to you, but I couldn't bring myself to ask you," Kazuki admitted, trailing off.

"And then the Festum told me that it wanted to feel the crossing with you again. I won't let then do it. I won't let them hurt you again," Kazuki said, reflexively tightening his hold on Soushi, gritting his teeth as a wave of possessiveness washed over him. "I'm going to find out where these new Festum are coming from, and I'm going to kill them. All of them. I promise you that."

"Kazuki..." Soushi whispered, seeming rather lost for words.

"And you still insist that you want to fight them yourself; putting yourself in such danger," Kazuki glanced at Soushi's pale face, the tearstains still visible in the darkness. "I want to protect you," he continued, bringing a hand up to cup Soushi's cheek. "I love you."

Kazuki felt Soushi's face flinch violently under his touch, a fearful look entering his eyes. Kazuki felt saddened, and went to move his hand away.

"No, wait," Soushi whispered hastily, grabbing his hand and holding it in place. He swallowed nervously, trying to compose himself. "It's OK, you can keep going. ... Touch me."

"Huh?"

"Make love to me."

"W-what?" Kazuki spluttered, completely taken-aback - that was the last thing he'd been expecting Soushi to say.

"Make love to me," Soushi repeated firmly.

"You don't have to do this just to prove that you're not still bothered by what the Festum did to you."

"I'm not doing it just because of that- I want you."

"But- mmph-" Kazuki's protests were muffled by Soushi's mouth as he leaned over and kissed him. Kazuki kissed him back, shuddering as Soushi's tongue ran across his lips, and feeling the tingling of arousal spreading through his body despite himself - if Soushi really was in the mood, he was hardly going to say no.

Soushi moaned into his mouth, rubbing his tongue against Kazuki's seductively, and moving a hand down to grope at Kazuki's erection through his pyjama bottoms.

Kazuki jumped in surprise, feeling quite turned on by Soushi's boldness. He pulled his mouth away from Soushi's, gasping for breath. "Ah! Wait, Soushi. Hang on a second."

"What's wrong?" Soushi asked, still allowing his hand to wander. "I just told you that I wanted to do this."

Kazuki grabbed hold of his hand, halting his movement. "I know, I know; I do, too. It's just… I want to take care of you. Just lie back and let me take care of everything."

Soushi nodded in understanding. "OK, then," he said, laying back down and staring up at Kazuki invitingly. "Take care of me."

"Soushi..." Kazuki kissed him again softly as he started to undo the buttons on Soushi's pyjama top. He leant down and sucked at the pale skin of Soushi's neck as it was revealed to him. "Those Festum, they showed you nothing but hatred and pain. I want to show you love... and pleasure."

Soushi moaned his approval loudly as Kazuki continued his way down his body, licking at his nipples. "Ah, Kazuki!" Soushi cried out, burying his fingers in Kazuki's hair.

Usually when they made love they were so excited and eager for Kazuki get inside and bring them to climax that they tended to skip the foreplay. That didn't seem to be the case tonight, and Soushi certainly wasn't going to complain.

"Ah... aah." Soushi was gasping softly as Kazuki moved his tongue in and out of his bellybutton. "Please, more."

"Hang on a second," Kazuki murmured, pulling away to reach over to the bedside cabinet, retrieving their tub of lube. "I'll just get rid of these," he added, grabbing hold of the waistband of Soushi's pyjama bottoms, pulling them down and watching with interest as Soushi's erection sprung free. "Hmm, you seem to be pretty aroused Soushi," he commented, taking hold of it in his hand and rubbing his thumb across its head. "Look, it's so wet already."

Soushi turned his head away, flushed and panting. Kazuki leaned in closer, enjoying the view. "I bet you're dieing for me to put it in my mouth," he whispered into Soushi's ear, his voice gaining a husky edge to it.

Soushi felt his face grow even hotter at his words. Dirty talk wasn't something he'd ever really expected from Kazuki - but he found that he rather enjoyed it.

But he didn't have much time to ponder on it, as Kazuki suddenly moved back down his body and acted on his suggestion, making Soushi arch up off the bed, crying out loudly.

Kazuki continued to suck at Soushi's length as he reached for the lube, coating his fingers with the slick substance, and pushing one inside Soushi's tight entrance. Soushi arched and moaned softly as Kazuki quickly twisted his finger inside of him. Kazuki smiled at his reaction, pulling his mouth a way for a second. "Here?" he asked quietly.

"Y-yes," Soushi stammered, biting down on his lip as Kazuki's finger continued to brush against his prostate. "But, if you keep going... then I'll come before you've even entered me."

"That's ok, "Kazuki replied, before returning his mouth to its previous task, drawing out more cries of pleasure from Soushi.

It only took a couple more minutes until Kazuki felt Soushi's body tighten around his fingers, and the hot rush of his climax filled his mouth a moment later.

Kazuki pulled away when Soushi was finished, watching as the blond slumped back onto the bed, a hand pressed to his forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat that had gathered there.

Kazuki smiled fondly at Soushi as his lover recovered his breath. _'He seems to be feeling better now - that's good,_' Kazuki thought to himself, remembering the tearful, terrified look that Soushi had been wearing a little while earlier. _'I never want to see that look on his face again._'

Kazuki moved to lie down beside Soushi, but paused as the fabric of his pyjama bottoms rubbed against his crotch, reminding him that he was still hard. _'Ah, I guess I should take care of this, too..._'

Soushi's eyes opened as he heard Kazuki's soft, breathy moans fill the air, and saw that Kazuki was stroking himself. "What are you doing that for?" he asked. "Why don't you just take me?"

"Ahh, um, well, I wasn't sure if you still wanted me to..."

"Of course I do. I've already said so twice. Besides, you did such a good job stretching me; it'd be a shame to waste it." Soushi smirked at the embarrassed, yet aroused expression on Kazuki's face, and then stared blatantly at his dripping erection. "Look, it's so wet already," Soushi said playfully, echoing Kazuki's earlier words. "I bet you're dieing to put it in me."

Kazuki nodded in agreement without realising it, causing Soushi's smirk to widen.

Soushi leaned back against the bed, propping himself up his elbows and shifting in anticipation as Kazuki reached for the tub of lube again. This was the moment he longed for and looked forward to the most; the warmth and fullness of penetration; the way Kazuki would lean in close as they joined, his eyes heated and filled with passion. It made him shudder in excitement at the mere thought of it.

"Kazuki, hurry up," Soushi whispered longingly, unconsciously spreading his legs wider. "I need you in me soon."

"Hang on, Soushi," Kazuki answered, almost moaning aloud at the desperate tone to Soushi's voice. He moved quickly between his spread legs, one hand resting on Soushi's hip, the other on his arousal, guiding it towards the waiting entrance. "I'm going to enter you now, Soushi," he said in warning.

Soushi gasped harshly and reached out, clutching at Kazuki's shoulders as Kazuki carefully slid into him.

Kazuki buried his face against Soushi's neck, muffling his own loud cry; Soushi's body gripped him tightly, and seemed to be pulling him in deeply. He loved this feeling, of being completely surrounded by Soushi, as close to him as possible.

_'It's kind of like this when we're joined in the Siegfried System. But this is far more intense and real._' Kazuki mused to himself, nuzzling his face into Soushi's hair, inhaling the familiar scene. "Are you ok, Soushi?" he asked after a few moments. "Am I hurting you?"

"I-I'm alright," Soushi managed to rasp out, adjusting his arms so that they were now wrapped around Kazuki's back in a more gentle embrace. "It's just that we- we haven't done it for a while, so it's a bit of a shock at first."

"I see," Kazuki said, cupping Soushi's face and pulling him in for a kiss. "I'll go slowly at first then."

"Um, don't- don't go too slow," Soushi whispered against his lips, sounding a bit embarrassed. "I like it when you go fast."

Kazuki nodded, taking a firm hold of Soushi's hips, and started to move, pulling all the way out before thrusting back in again.

Soushi bit down on his lip to stifle a loud moan, rocking his body upwards to meet Kazuki's thrusts.

Kazuki soon increased his pace, guessing from the noises he was making that Soushi wanted him to go faster, trying to find that sweet spot that would drive Soushi wild. He could feel Soushi's erection, hard and aching between them, rubbing against his stomach with each thrust, and so he reached out to stroke it again.

"Ahhg, Kazuki! Yes... I'm close," Soushi panted out, feeling the heat pool low in his body as Kazuki started to suck on a particularly sensitive spot on his neck. "Yes! Yes! Faster! Harder!"

"Soushi... Soushi... Soushi..." Kazuki whispered his name frantically like a mantra against his neck. He didn't think he could last much longer as Soushi tightened even more around him when his thrusts sped up.

"Kazuki! Kazuki!" Soushi shuddered and twisted beneath him. _'It's no good. I can't take it any more._' Kazuki was hitting his prostate with almost every thrust, sending shockwaves of pleasure through his body from that point of contact.

Soushi clung tightly to Kazuki's shoulder with one hand, covering his mouth with the other to muffle his loud screams as he came.

Kazuki felt Soushi spasming under him, and his hot seed splashing against their stomachs. He groaned against Soushi's neck, finding his own release after a few more thrusts into that tight, welcoming body.

When Kazuki came back down from his climactic high, he found that Soushi was half-asleep beneath him, his eyelids fluttering tiredly.

Soushi murmured in discontent, opening his eyes and giving Kazuki a questioning look as the dark-haired boy pulled away from his embrace and got out of the bed.

"I'm just getting this," Kazuki said, retrieving a towel from the floor, and proceeding to clean the pair of them up. "It'll be a bit uncomfortable and, well, sticky if I don't."

Soushi closed his eyes again and let Kazuki get on with it. "Hurry up and come to bed; I'm tired."

Kazuki grinned in amusement. "OK, Soushi."

Soushi soon succumb to the lure of sleep, but Kazuki lay there for a while longer, watching fondly as Soushi slept peacefully, a serene look etched across his face.

Kazuki trailed his fingers across Soushi's cheek, and through the soft strands of blond hair. "I love you," he whispered. "And I mean what I said earlier - I won't let them hurt you again. Kouyou said before that he thought a new Mir may have appeared, and that these Festum were emanating from it. So maybe that's what we have to do to stop these new Festum: we have to destroy the new Mir, too."

Kazuki yawned widely, feeling tired out from the day's events, and all the thoughts that were running through his head. He could worry about them tomorrow; right now he had to sleep. He let his eyes fall shut and snuggled closer to Soushi. "Goodnight, Soushi. Sweet dreams."


End file.
